Beyond His Body
by Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling
Summary: Loosely set before the events of the ceremonial battle and Yami obtaining his true name. Yami wants to begin an intimate relationship with Seto, but Yugi refuses to let his body be used for sex. What can Yami do?
1. Awkward Feelings

_**A/N: Lemons in future chapters, but this story will focus more on Seto and Yami's blooming relationship and wants.**_

_**A/N: This story is dedicated to HieiAijin1410, but if she ends up not liking it, then it will just be a story for me entirely!**_

**oOo**

Beyond His Body

**oOo**

"So then, after you plug in the values, you'll see that x= -4 and y=1 ! Do you get it, now?" Yūgi chirped to a cheerful Mokuba. The ecstatic ebony haired teen looked over the homework paper covered in full with unanswered equations in a new understanding. With a beaming smile, he nodded triumphantly in agreement. "Yeah! I got it now! That was sooo easy! Thanks Yūgi!"

The older teen laughed modestly and scratched the back of his head, "Haha, it was no problem, really. I was glad to help!"

"It's a good thing you were able to come over to help me on such short notice," Mokuba added, already at work solving more problems the way he was shown, "I've asked Seto a bunch of times to help me with the quadratic formula, but he had to work late tonight. But, I understand he's busy."

Yūgi's composed features softened a bit in concern from hearing this, "Does he work late like this often?" he inquired, an image of a moody Kaiba holed up in the home office, left to his devices, obsessions and work like some deranged Bruce Wayne crossed his mind. Inwardly, he couldn't help but find this fitting illusion amusing. But imagining Kaiba in a Batman outfit took things just a tad bit too far. But his subdued humor was thankfully, completely oblivious to Mokuba.

"Mhmm. Sometimes more than others," the younger Kaiba explained casually, keeping his attention on his homework, "but tonight was really important, so I didn't want to bother him."

"Oh..." Yūgi trailed off. His mind instantly drifted in spontaneous thought from the other's revelation. Although he didn't actually have an older brother to relate Mokuba's story to, the enigmatic spirit that dwelled within him was the closest sibling he had. Yūgi didn't know the spirit's actual name and nor did the once regal specter. But that was fine. He and his friends were closer to finding that out with each new day now.

But Yūgi could only imagine how he would feel if the spirit shut off primary communication with him for whatever reason or distancing himself like he viewed Kaiba was doing. Being the caring and helping soul that he was, Yūgi would always desire to be there to aid in a time of need. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to handle the loneliness very well at all. And at that moment, he admired Mokuba for being so strong for himself as well as for his brother.

"Kaiba..." the utterance of that particular name held secretive meanings that even Yūgi was not aware of. From hearing his surname, Mokuba glanced up from his homework; bright eyes studying the bewildered teen across from him. "Hmm? What is it Yūgi? Are you talking about Seto, Yūgi?"

"Ah... whoops! I guess I was just thinking out loud! Ignore it, okay?" Yūgi commented nervously, waving the folly away. Mokuba stared at the other. Perplexed swirls of azure analyzed Yūgi's small form before returning to their previous engagement. "Uhh ok. Whatever!" Relieved, Yūgi let out a whoosh of air. In truth, he was not the one who conjured the name. It was...

"I apologize, Aibou," the spirit stated, appearing alongside Yūgi perched atop the table with his arms and legs crossed. His ethereal majesticness was observed only by his other's consciousness. Plum orbs eyed his regal counterpart in innocent observation. "Were you expecting a duel while we were here, Pharaoh?" Yūgi inquired inwardly so that only the spirit of the Puzzle could hear and understand his 'words' of subdued sincerity. "Is that why you're so anxious about Kaiba right now?" The elder of the two hesitated a tad before responding with a simplistic, "Kaiba always desires to duel with me when we're within close proximity, Little One. As you already know."

"Yes, but, Pharaoh, you didn't answer my question." He had a point there-but his statement was nonetheless overlooked.

"...How much longer do you plan on staying here?" the spirit inquired, his tone emulating hints of impatience, "I do not wish for us to overstay our 'welcome' in this place."

" 'Overstay our welcome' ?" Yūgi reiterated, his features scrunching in confusion. Then his expression lightened. "Pharaoh, are you worried about Kaiba?"

"I simply do not wish to disturb him," he replied a little too smoothly.

"I think it's a bit too late for that. Even if we do stay out of his way, we are in his house," Yūgi added sheepishly, and it was a truth that could not be refuted. "You are correct, Little One," the spirit sighed, a light curve to his mouth. Impressed his other half thought so, Yūgi couldn't help but grin and rubbed the back of his head. "Really? Cool. I guess 2 times out of 4 is pretty good for me!"

"Hmm," the spirit nodded, thoughtfully.

"But, as soon as Mokuba doesn't need anymore help with his homework, I'll be ready to go," Yūgi concluded, with a yawn. The dark haired youth looked up from his paper from the evident sleepiness shown in his elder and he chuckled, "Are these problems making you tired, Yūgi?"

"Hmm?" Yūgi perked up; his undivided attention now on younger Kaiba. Seeing he was not still needed, the spirit returned to dormancy within the puzzle around Yūgi's neck. "Oh! No! Not at all! It's just... cold rainy nights like this always make me tired for some reason. I can't wait for summer to come back!"

"Well, you certainty look like you could use a nap! But thanks for your help. I should be able to finish the rest of my homework with no problem now."

"Yeah? That's great to hear!" Yūgi agreed, covering his mouth as another yawn crept its way upon him. "Then I think we should call it a night, huh?"

"Yeah, for you. I've still got to show Seto what I did after I'm done with this. Big brother always likes checking my progress and pointing out what I've gotten better at and what I need to improve on."

Those words brought a warm smile to Yūgi's somnolent features, "He certainly is very proud of you Mokuba!"

"Aww come on, knock it off!" Mokuba jeered, sheepishly rubbing his nose with a finger as a gesture of embarrassment, "But Seto is the best big brother in the whole world! And one day," he paused, pointing a finger at Yūgi, " he'll beat you in a duel!"

"Haaha...w-well, I'll be looking forward to that day, then! Whenever it happens!" Yūgi stated, waving his hands in front of him as if to ward off the invisible threat Mokuba just gave him, "I guess I'll show my way out then," he continued, beginning to stand and grab his backpack from the floor.

"Yūgi, wait!" Mokuba called. He scooted his chair back and handed the duelist 2 pages. Yūgi glanced over the items with lazy eyes before looking over at the younger, "Your homework?"

"Yeah, could you pass that upto Seto for me? I've got to give a friend a call who's out of the country and I want to talk with her as soon as I can...heh heh heh... So! Could you do it?"

"Uh sure...No problem?"

"Ok great! Also, could you come back over tomorrow to help me again with my homework? Just in case there's something else I don't understand. And if I don't need anything, you can always duel with Seto. Oh, and tell him I wanna play some games with him in an hour, okay? Bye!" Mokuba chirped and before Yūgi could give a response, the smaller teen dashed off into another room. Yūgi watched with a cute awed expression, before yawning again and returning his attention to the Pharaoh.

"Would you like for me to take over while you rest, Yūgi?" the proud king asked, arms crossed as he appeared beside his shorter counterpart. "Yeah... And don't forget to see Kaiba before we leave," Yūgi added, rubbing his moistened eyes. In a flash, the two of them switched places and the spirit almost dropped the papers from his hands from that statement.

He really did hate to disturb Kaiba like this. He preferred to leave his rival to his business and obsessions. He eyes lowered at his next thought. He could consider himself as one of Seto's obsessions. There was always a block of emotions the spirit couldn't label that brimmed his being whenever he was in the same vicinity as his rival. The reality of the truth was, the former Pharaoh and everyone else was aware of the time of him acquiring his true name was lingering near. The thought of having to leave his friends and Kaiba behind if he were to return to his afterlife scorched him deeply. Internally, he fought with those thoughts and feelings every minute of everyday. On the outside, he appeared calm, but often in apprehensive thought; much like he was this night. But, it was getting later by the second and he needed to take his leave. With a heavy sigh, the spirit looked down at the homework papers once more before heading off in the direction of Seto's home office.

**oOo **

In the furthest room on the floor above, the young CEO typed away on his laptop. Each passing second, his tapered fingers shed a new form into creation along the screen. The room was dark, save for the dun light of the cloudy skies outside the windows behind him. Thoroughly focused on the task before him, Seto sat submerged in the cusp of his solitary abyss. He had confined himself to this room, his office, for quite some time. The trials and algorithms of business once instilled their tiresome mundanity upon his worn eyes just mere hours earlier. But their task was one easily accomplished. After all, if there was one thing he could give his accursed stepfather credit for, it was the finesse and importance of business being dealt with with prompt ease and esquisse where needed. Those ideals and concepts were branded into his skin as well as inflicted upon his inner being. Better him than Mokuba.

Yet now, and for the past half hour since Yūgi arrived, Seto's thoughts became pierced with a idea he couldn't yet grasp nor understand. Since then, he had been playing over many theories and possibilities in his head, while keeping his fingers active and his dusky eyes glued to his computer screen that was full of highly adept equations. It was ironic that while Mokuba was having trouble unraveling his math problems, Seto was creating new ones in some of the most difficult forms of math widely known. This was his method of working through that of which he did not understand. And as of now, Yūgi was one of the largest puzzles Seto could not fully decipher and that bothered him. In addition to that, he had been fighting inner turmoil with himself and what he would be doing for the rest of his life with Mokuba at his side. Being the owner of Kaiba Corp was financial security, and he could send Mokuba to attend the best schools, if the smaller Kaiba so desired it. But, what was the life that he wanted to lead once Mokuba was out of the picture and went to live his own life? He couldn't figure that out either. Solving equations to help him sort through his own problems seemed foolish, but everyone needed a mnemonic device when they pondered through heavy thoughts and Seto was no different.

After solving a 10 page calculus equation, and scribbling out the brain work on the backs of misprinted presentation graph papers, Seto's contemplations trickled back towards Yūgi. How was his life to be? Did he want to duel forever or did he want more out of his life? What were his desires? How long would the king of games surpass him in terms of skill? Would he ever defeat Yūgi in a duel? Suppose he did best Yūgi, how would he feel then? His rival was the only other he held great respect for aside from Mokuba and Ishizu.

Suddenly, Seto's fingers ceased their task. Why was he wasting his time on such frivolous thoughts with no answers? Whatever Yūgi did was his business and his life. It had nothing to do with him unless a duel was primarily involved. His focuses needed to be on more important things like Mokuba and his own life. But lately, Yūgi had been becoming a more important figure in his lifestyle. And if Seto allowed it, perhaps the respected duelist would become the centerpiece of it.

Seto had an abundance of respect towards his greatest rival; an accolade so deep it chasmed deep into obsession. A flicker of malcontent tugged at Seto's lips and narrowed his eyes. Inwardly, he cursed himself for allowing his thoughts to often be littered with Yūgi, his obsession-incarnate. "...What is he..." Seto thought aloud, while ceasing in his equations, "...to me...? Why can't I figure this out...?" He continued to plague his mind with a round of unanswerable inquiries. Frustration crept up within him and he pushed himself away from the desk. A sound of displeasure left him while he wallowed in his torturous thoughts and he loosened the tie around his neck. He needed to sort out these issues and settle them in finality so he could never question them again. After tossing the garment atop his desk, Seto stepped over to one of the longer full view windows that doubled as a door to the balcony of the building. It had already started to rain. His keen cobalt eyes took in the clear droplets trickling down the glass and the hints of light that accented them from the moon above and the city's lights beyond. "..."

**oOo**

"Kaiba? Kaiba are you in here?" Yami's cautious voice wavered through the other side of Seto's office door. Respectfully, the former ruler stood in front of the double doors, awaiting a response. When none came, he knocked against the polished wood with the back of his fisted hand, "Kaiba? Mokuba has finished with his homework and I wanted to acknowledge you of my leave..."

Silence.

"Hmmm Perhaps he has retired for the night?" the spirit second guessed himself. The thought lingered in his mind momentarily, before he shook it away. He knew Seto like none other. And he knew that if Seto could help it, he would compromise his own rest to accomplish a task. "Kaiba?" he retried, knocking again. When he was again met with no response, he checked within his consciousness to make sure Yūgi was still asleep before he announced his next statement. Although he felt foolish towards his sudden bashfulness in the possibility of Seto not being decently dressed for whatever reason. And if he walked in on him, he wouldn't want Yūgi to be aware of it. But that aside, the former pharaoh curled his hand around the door's knob, that resembled a lever more than an ornament, and pushed the door open, "I'm entering the room, now, Kaiba."

The polished mahogany opened without much of a sound atop the carpeted floor, and the darkness of the room's depths splashed onto his feet. "Kaiba?" his deep voice called again. His warm eyes scanned the room for any hint of the seclusive prodigy; the desk, the double doors at the end of the room, behind the door he had just opened. "Kaiba...are you in here?" he uttered again. He could clearly see the glow of the monitor from Seto's laptop flickering against the back of his chair. Stepping fully into the room, he shut the door behind him and took a better look towards the desk. He placed Mokuba's homework atop it and glanced to the scatter pieces of paper with lengthy equations written on them. Silently, the spirit's eyes moved up towards the windows while they cascaded the reflection of the rain outside. And through the rapidity of the descending droplets, the spirit sought his goal's finality. The bemused CEO stood off to the far right side of the wide balcony; his attention resting on an unidentifiable location in the distance. His hands were nestled into his pockets rather leisurely and his posture was both speculative and admirable in its poise. Whatever he was thinking about, a great deal of effort had gone into it.

"Kaiba..." the name dropped from his lips unexpectedly, and his body had already begun to gravitate towards the taller windows; enabling him to be closer to whom he felt most bonded to.

The window closed behind him with a gentle click. The thin male stepped out onto the balcony and into the torrent of rain, not caring in the least about the consequences of such actions on such a frigid night. He had found Seto, but now he could not grasp the words he had wanted to speak. The mist of his breaths and the range of mild and strong emotions circling within his eyes were all that emitted from him at the sight of Seto. Unidentifiable cacoethes strummed a mysterious entity within him and he didn't know whether to tame it, or to release it. Fortunately for him, Seto made the first move between them for him.

Gleaming cobalt streamed over to the sylphlike male in their presence; catching the glimmer of the moonlight along its irises. Through the threadlike droplets that fell about them, the calculating CEO observed the shorter male with acutely narrowed eyes. Emotions that ranged from anxiety, eagerness, hesitation and determination played over the Pharaoh's face as his visual entirety was swallowed by Seto's scrutinizing gaze. Such sharp blue eyes complimented and played against the gradients of the sky beyond them. The air around the former ruler suddenly cooled and he felt himself take a daring step forward. "Kaiba..." Foolishly, that one name was all he could manage to breathe at that moment. Seto's lengthy frame punctuated the loose-fitting clothes he wore: slightly unbuttoned black silk atop even smoother obsidian, adorned with a silver belt buckle. His thick strands of russet pressed slightly against his pale skin, greedily catching the reflected light of the city and celestial luminescence around him. Ethereal wisps of breath fluttered from between his lips as he parted them to speak; the chilled air manipulating it to mimic that of blown smoke. "Yūgi ..." Seto murmured in a flat tone. At least, that would be how it would sound to an average person. But to the Pharaoh, he was one of the very few that had learned the attractive CEO's attributes like that of a Duel Monsters card. Behind that disinterested facade lingered a mild, but genuine interest and explanation for his presence.

And the spirit didn't miss a beat.

"Mokuba mentioned that you may still be in your office," he began, breaking the ice with the most obvious statement he could think of without being overly obvious and commenting on the weather. "He's concerned for your well-being, you know."

"I don't need you to give me advice on how to treat my little brother," he practically hissed. Yet, the spirit wasn't bothered in the least. However, his body differed otherwise. Inside, he was nervous and he didn't understand why. Just standing in the same place as this man, breathing the same air caused the former ruler to feel openly vulnerable. It was as if Seto was silently consuming a part of him right under both their noses. And neither of them made a move to sever that illusion. "Of course. That would make sense if I was giving advice. However, I simply only went looking for you by his request."

Seto raised a slight brow at this, but his eyes remained their intensity. They both knew it. That statement was a lie. The Pharaoh knew it better than anyone. He wanted to seek Seto out by his own volition. Yet, Seto decided to play along with it. "Is that so? Well, now you've found me. And now you can leave," he smirked faintly, cocking his head towards the balcony doors to further emphasize his point. "I'd rather enjoy some privacy."

"I don't mean to intrude, Kaiba. However, I am concerned that you may be working too much."

"Your opinion. I don't care," Seto retaliated all in one breath, his words taking misty mockery in the form of smoke.

"Then what of Mokuba? Shouldn't you be spending more time with him?"

"What did I just say? I don't need you to tell me how to handle my only family."

"I am only expressing concern. If you were not stuck in your office, then it could have been you to aid him with his studies."

"And I will. So, thanks for showing up. You can leave now."

The two of them remained silent, staring into the other's soul. The two of them were playing a game of cat and mouse and they both knew it. "Then I should inform you that Mokuba has requested that we return tomorrow night to help him with his homework since you will be occupied with business as usual," the spirit stated clearly, properly pronouncing each word and observing Seto's intent gaze about the movement of his tongue. It intrigued the spirit a tad as to why Seto's attention would be focused on his mouth of all places, but he pushed the puzzlement aside. But he wouldn't deny to himself he was rather accepting of the attention.

" 'We' ?" Seto questioned, whisking a few drenched locks out of his eyes with a quick movement of his head.

"Yes. Surely, you've noticed."

Of course Seto had. He knew there was a distinct difference that went beyond scientific explanation that could even begin to touch the surface of the reasoning behind the existence of 2 Yūgis. And for one who strongly disapproved of such "magical" things existing, he acknowledged this rather well. He was aware of the boring, saccharine Yūgi, and then there was the one that stood before him now- the more confident, fiery and formidable Yūgi. This version was the one he always looked forward to meeting with. However in this particular moment, his mind wasn't lingering on the thought of a duel...

"Save it," he breathed, his words drifting from him in a hazed mist. Gradually, he turned his body from a profile and faced his short rival. A sudden thrill scattered through the Pharaoh at the stunning gaze he became pinned within. But he stood his ground. Seto grazed through the descending droplets like a dark specter; the glimmers of light around and above him casting his outline in deceptive invitation. His hands remained in his pockets as he neared closer to his counterpart. His airy breaths fluttered around him in such a way that caused the spirit to wonder where Seto had pulled that imaginary cigarette from. As the space between them narrowed, the spirit could have sworn the precipitation around them began to warm.

"I'm giving you 10 seconds to tell me what you want before I personally remove you from that spot," Seto warned in a tone that could easily be mistaken for darkened allure. The Pharaoh blinked. And the next thing he realized, his back had brushed against the outer wall of the building and both of Seto's hands were placed on either side of his head. Through the shallow torrent of water before him, curious amaranth darkness traveled up into the shaded hues of the ocean that peered down at him. A slice of moonlight spilled over a fraction of Seto's body, and tauntingly scattered through his moistened locks as he leaned forward. The Pharaoh felt his breath hitch in his throat and his hands clawed at the wall in anticipation and uncertainty. The thrill, the rush, he was loving every absorbed second of it. He didn't know where any of this was going, nor where it could lead, but a protest was not on his tongue. When Seto received no verbal answer, he grasped the former ruler under his chin and neared closer still. He was allowed in this far and he was not backing down until he got what he desired.

Answers. And he felt drawn closer to a solution now more than he ever did.

"5 seconds..." Seto reminded. A sound of acknowledgment wavered from the Pharaoh, but he did not yet speak. The welcoming aroma of the fragrance Seto wore was deliciously distracting, even through the pouring rain. "Kaiba..." the lithe male finally uttered, earning a daring smirk from Seto. "2 seconds..." he muttered, slightly widening his mouth. The Pharaoh followed suit upon reaction; the glossed sight of slivered moonlight lining Seto's tongue.

"Ah..Seto, I..." the spirit breathed airily, unaware of the name usage until his time was up. And as Seto's mouth claimed his, the spirit could swear that he tasted that very moonlight on Seto's tongue.

The brush of a sound crossed between acceptance and hesitation tore from Yami; any verbal sounds he wanted to form turning into the mist of the night. There was a pause as their mouths separated. Seto keenly kept his steely eyes on the male before him, taking in the sight of such a vulnerable moment, as well as the various expressions that decorated that face. The spirit remained as he was. His chest rose and fell rapidly from each quickened breath he took. Both palms were pressed against the wall with nails biting into the grit of the brick; his wild hair was slicked down past his shoulders with unruly locks of it still half spiked; his eyes were tautly shut as if opening them would shatter the reality he had just become a part of.

His surprise and awe from the moment showed no acceptance nor rejection and Seto was determined to break the code on that diverse probability. Suavely, he leaned in to claim those same lips again, this time allowing himself a little more creativity and biting lightly on them whenever he pleased. "A-ah..." the regal eidolon gasped, sounding more desperate and shocked over any other emotion. His entire body was tingling with sensory overload with incredibleness he would never be able to explain with words. And in addition to that, Seto Kaiba, of all individuals, was doing this to him and causing him to feel these odd and awkward ways. He wanted it to stop; he wanted more; he didn't know what he wanted and remained the doll that Seto was tinkering with. It was almost as if Seto were analyzing every visible inch of him to find out just how he ticked...and revel in how enticing it was when the faint sounds that brewed from him were clearly identifiable.

But then Seto stopped. Taking in a breath, he peered at his rival with contracted eyes. Then he glanced down at the two hands that had balled into fists against his shirt. It took the spirit a moment to regain his composure and the second he did, he revealed his crystalline amaranth depths to Seto's in solemn condemnation. "...Kaiba..." he panted, keeping a firm grasp on the expensive, and drenched, clothing, "We... we must stop this now," he warned; his tone a low rumble in his throat, "I... I refuse to use Yūgi's body as if it were my own like this, Kaiba."

Seto's features solidified from both the mention of another Yūgi again, as well as how gently his surname was spoken. "That's your only complaint?" Seto ridiculed with a slight smirk. Then it faded, "Why didn't you leave when I told you to..."

"Kaiba, please, now is not the time," the spirit retaliated, pushing his hands against Kaiba's chest. He could clearly feel the contour of his lean body through the soaked fabric, but he made no verbal mention of how pleasing it felt. The spirit wanted answers, as Seto did. Their shared moment, regardless of how brief, brought them both to the brink of obtaining those answers.

"I...I should not be here, Kaiba. I should not betray Yūgi. I apologize for invading your-"

Needless to say, his spoken nonsense was rendered severed as Seto devoured those unspoken words with a rough kiss. A growl escaped from the lithe male and instinctively, he shut his eyes and allowed his mouth to be ravaged yet again. Firm hands clutched the small blue jacket around his slender frame and pulled him closer; the both of them temporarily surrendering to the night. In honesty, a kiss was something had both considered before, but one of them needed this confirmation more than he realized. And that one, was Seto. Seto needed this moment; he needed the control that went with it; he needed to be able to allow himself to be trusted. By 'him'. And only him. Only he could give Seto the spark in his life that Mokuba could not.

Slowly, their mouths broke apart and their moment dissolved into wispy pants and mutuality. A beat of a wordless silence lingered between them. Their eyes delved within the other, raising new emotions and understandings to the surface. Then the sharp sound of a slap shot into the air; only for the sound to be greedily swallowed by the pouring rain. Neither of them made another move for nearly half a minute. Seto didn't bother to retaliate from the offense. The blow was unaccented and weak on purpose, but it did get its point across. And Seto was rather satisfied that he was the one to cross it. The spirit, on the other hand, glared at his rival with a stoic expression that Seto could not read in more depth and detail. That bothered him, but he didn't dare show it.

"I warned you, Kaiba," the spirit stated in a slightly uneven tone. He was inwardly trembling from what he had just done, but refused to make it visibly obvious. Slowly, he lowered his hand to his side and narrowed his eyes to Seto. "This body is not my own to be fooling around with; not with you, or anyone."

"I got that," Seto replied sarcastically. As a jest, he placed two fingers to the side of his face where he was struck, "And from the lack of intent behind that pathetic slap, I can tell you didn't dislike what I gave you..."

"... Don't..." the spirit uttered, barely moving his lips. A strong emotion swirled in his exotic eyes; the surrounding luminosity reflecting its intensity tenfold. Streams of rain had decorated his attractive face, glistening faintly under the hush of the moon's glow. He kept his expression under such a tight facade, one would not be able to tell if the heavens' droplets brimmed his eyes, or anguished tears. He did care for Seto and while the situation that just occurred between them wasn't expected, it was welcomed...to a degree. And no matter how badly it was yearned for, the noble phantasm absolutely refused to have his Aibou's body tampered with in a sexual manner. And that made things all the more complicated.

Only for a moment, one rare selfish moment, did the spirit imagine it as unfair and unjust that he could not further develop and explore these unnamed emotions with someone. No, not just someone, but 'him' and only 'him'. Distraught, he clenched his hands into fists and turned to a profile so that he did not have to face Seto directly. He felt foolish and ashamed. He owed Seto more than just an apology. And he owed Yūgi one as well. Perhaps if he discussed his dilemma, the little one would understand? The thought seemed like an abysmal idea, but it was still a choice.

Armed with a solution, the spirit took in a deep breath and released it, feeling a quarter of his tension disperse with it. "Kaiba, I..." he started, turning in the other's direction. Instead of being as close as he once was, Seto was a mild distance away, leaning against the outer frame of the balcony window. Silence again overtook them momentarily, but Seto was the one to decimate it. "Are you heading inside or not? And don't think I'll have any pity on you if you continue to sulk out here because I will leave you here the remainder of the night."

"No, I..." he paused. A light smile touched his lips from the 'challenge' and he began to cautiously make his way towards Kaiba. Acute blue eyes studied the smaller male before him as he nodded to him and opened the large window that led back inside. But before he could take a step in, Seto grabbed his arm and pulled him to his chest just enough to whisper in his ear, "We are going to talk," he enunciated in tones of finality and released his grip, "And please do something with your hair before that happens."

**oOo**

Wheee. I wanted to focus more on character development for this story. Yes, there will be smex in later chapters and yes Yami was not referred to in that name for a reason and should be given an actual name in the next chapter. And in case everything you just read was confusing, here's the simplified lowdown **IN (rare, I hope) RANDOM OOC-NESS**! (because it's goofy)

**ooc**

Yūgi: I helped with Mokuba's homework!

Mokuba: Hey! You're more insignificant than me!

Yūgi: What? Why?

Mokuba: Because you're a temporary placeholder for Yami, that's why!

Yūgi: Poopy plops...

Yami: Kaiba, you're Batman

Kaiba: I-

Kaiba: AM-

Kaiba: -BATMAN!

Yami: Yes. I am your obsession

Kaiba: Whatever, I'm going to kiss you now.

Yami: I HAS TASTEDED MOONLIGHT

Kaiba: Only my moonlight is smexy because I'm frickin' Seto Kaiba.

Yami: Maybe Yūgi will let me use his body for smex.

Yami: But no! I refuse to betray him like that!

Yami: But he might let me anyway... sooo...

Yami: I should ask him!

Seto: Do it in the next chapter. We've already hit 9 pages.

Seto: And fix your hair.

Yami: Awwwwwaaawww

**ooc**

To be continued

Please give me some feedback!

-Mel


	2. Restricted

_**A/N: Yami angst!**_

**oOo**

Beyond His Body

Chapter 2

**OoO**

Later that night, the Pharaoh was escorted home to the Turtle Game Shop by one of Seto's trusted men. During the entire ride, the swirl of emotions he had experienced that night in addition to the fresh anxiety that had surfaced, the spirit kept rather still. His elegant features held a rather blank expression while his head rested against one of the large tinted windows in the backseat. His exotic eyes were glossed with a thin film of uncertainty and a clear liquid. He was not crying, but their moistened appearance would make one consider otherwise.

He didn't say much of a word to Seto after their 'moment', yet he did manage a few strained hints of politeness just to get out of there as he could before he became even more emotionally scathed. He could tell that Seto didn't buy his behavior, knowing him better, yet he granted him his leave. And Seto again implied that they were going to talk. Involuntarily, the spirit's hands balled into fists as he recalled this much too recent memory. His mind flooded with accusations towards himself, self blame, and anger.

He accused himself of having such awkward, almost adolescent, feelings towards his greatest rival. He should have seen Seto as much more than someone to just spend the rest of his life with. The two of them didn't need to be a couple to accomplish that. All the spirit needed was for Seto to be in his life and to challenge him every step of the way. That basic need was what he wanted to believe wholeheartedly. But the Pharaoh detested liars, and he was in the making of obtaining that title himself.

His thoughts reverberated with blame towards how easily he allowed himself to be read; not by Seto, but by himself. There were parts of himself that he wanted to lock away and keep hidden from his own being. He wanted to separate from Yūgi. He wanted to live his own life and create his own challenges under his own discretion and free will. He longed to feel things, and see them, through his own perspective and not from the shell of another. He wanted to experience his own interpretations directly. But, ever since Yūgi changed his stern heart years ago, he always felt those were selfish desires of his to have. He respected Yūgi, as well as the thoughts the little one had towards allowing the two of them to share the same vessel. Just as the spirit inhabited Yūgi's body and choosing to respect his life choices, Yūgi had to do the same. The spirit knew of Yūgi's strong feelings towards Anzu, but those feelings couldn't be fully explored, directly accepted nor directly denied because of his inhabitance. While it was difficult for Yūgi, the teen still accepted the spirit's presence within him. In that same instance, the Pharaoh felt he should do the same. He felt that he shouldn't feel compelled to explore these feelings no matter how tempting as long as Yūgi shared that same mindset. But his soundness was wavering.

It was only fair that he acknowledged Yūgi's wishes with respect. And the more he accepted this, the angrier he became. He wanted to be able to separate himself from Yūgi and do whatever he may please with Seto. And that was also a dilemma. He didn't know what he wanted to do with Seto and that disturbance along with not being able to handle the matter was tearing his resolve asunder. But there was nothing he could do. Frustrated, his fists tightened; his nails slicing tiny red rings into his palms. He lowered his head, causing his messy drenched bangs to fall about his face and obscure it in scattered strands and locks. Harshly, he grit his teeth while he battled with keeping his emotions suppressed. These feelings he was experiencing towards Kaiba were his—but not his to keep.

When his destination was reached, the spirit dropped Yūgi's book bag onto the floor near the front counter dispassionately, and dragged his feet upstairs. He allowed himself a quick shower, fixed his hair to it's full spikiness again, and dressed for bed in the pajamas Yūgi usually wore. Once he was tucked in, he shut his eyes and switched physical places with his reincarnate. In an ethereal form, he stood next to the bed, observing Yūgi's gentle and composed features in slumber with wary eyes and a disquieted heart. He almost felt jealous of the compassionate one while he lay innocently in his bed fully caressed by sleep, while he was toiling with his emotions. The contrast was almost maddening, but the spirit forced himself to calmness. 'This isn't his fault. He does not deserve this,' he inwardly repeated to himself. Perhaps if he thought it enough times, he would catch belief with one of them.

However, now was not one of those times. The spirit began to feel smothered the more he remained so close to Yūgi. He wanted to shake the other awake and discuss his problem with him. He wanted to ask what his view was and know how much did Yūgi trust him with his body. At that deliberation, the spirit tensed. What would Yūgi's reaction be to the kiss? It was unexpected, wasn't it? It was an accident. No, that wasn't true. The spirit had allowed and accepted Seto's advances in earnest, as well as trepidation. He wasn't afraid of Kaiba in the least but what he was afraid of was admitting to himself just how much he desired the other; how much he needed to accept those revelations. Because once he did admit them, he knew he would betray Yūgi's trust and throw all his concerns to the wind. He knew that he would be inclined to storm into whatever room Seto was in, regardless of him being in the middle of a company meeting, and cause a scandalous scene. He wouldn't care of his disturbance in the least. He would strip Seto of his expensive clothing thread by thread and claim his protestant mouth. He would straddle his waist and roll his hips against Seto's; plucking arousing growls from him and gaining dominance. The spirit would have avowed Seto all to himself, not caring who dared to watch, and take him in that chair. Or perhaps he'd let himself be taken; it didn't matter. He wanted to freely do whatever whimmed upon his own volition and be fully responsible for the actions himself.

But for now, all of those elaborate and extravagant wants needed to be hidden and locked away until he asked and received. Waiting had become a new dislike. It took almost everything the spirit had to calm himself down so he could think much more clearly. Silently, he gave Yūgi one last look before he retreated to another end of the room beneath the window. There, he folded his arms over his chest, crossed one leg over the other—and waited.

**oOo**

Morning arrived brightly the next day as if its celestial appearance was promised. The city was cloaked with a thin blanket of dawn at its apex. The light glimmered through the windows of every building, casting each with an equal amount of golden light. The spirit opened his eyes gingerly and turned towards Yūgi's bed. He did not sleep, but had merely occupied his closed eyes with nothingness. A more known term for this would be the expression "resting one's eyes", but the spirit had nothing to rest.

Not much to his surprise, Yūgi was already awake and rising out of bed. The spirit watched with steady, almost scorching eyes while Yūgi stretched, checked the puzzle and looked around for him. The moment those plum orbs rested on his form, the spirit felt himself flinch. He was very eager to discuss his inquiries with Yūgi, but knew the younger needed to prepare for the day. In place of his uneasiness and anxiety, the Pharaoh nodded with a light smile as thin as its facade, "Good Morning, Yūgi."

The soothing vocals of the former ruler turned the teen to all smiles as he laid eyes upon him, "Morning!" Yūgi sang and hopped out of bed. While the exuberant youth stretched, the spirit stole a glance at his lips, technically the same lips that met with Kaiba's last night. A flicker of green passed through his narrowed amaranth orbs in pure envy. He wanted what Yūgi had; what Yūgi was capable of in that body of his. Inwardly, he cursed himself for having such jealous thoughts. But, in that moment, the Pharaoh felt as if he would do almost anything to gain a body of his own at some point. Naturally, Yūgi was oblivious to his envious desires and went to his closet to pick out his outfit for the day. "I sure hope my teachers will let me make up for any tests I know I've missed, " he began in casual small talk fashion, "But it isn't like I can exactly tell them 'Sorry I've been away for nearly 2 weeks but you see, people's souls were getting stolen' and 'boy aren't you glad the school didn't have to shut down for all those lost souls for the past few weeks huh?' "

"...No, I'm afraid not," the Pharaoh stated with no interest whatsoever. He was merely only responding to the sound of Yūgi's voice rather than focusing on the full content of his conversation. He was stalling, waiting for the right moment to pounce on asking these accursed questions. But he had to be honest with Yūgi first and tell him what happened. On the other hand, maybe letting him know would be a bad idea. But if Yūgi asked for an explanation, the truth in its fullness, would need to be spoken.

Various swarms of different ways to approach the situation thrived atop the spirit's tongue but he did not relinquish them from their prison and kept his eyes on Yūgi's moving form. If he didn't do this now, he probably would after it was too late and the truth was revealed prematurely. Unaware of the lurking uncertainties billowing within the Pharaoh's chest, Yūgi continued on, "I think it's a terrible thing that Dartz was misguided the way he was and enslaved people's souls. And what was worse was when you thought you were a bad ruler and you wanted to face your darkness alone and-"

"Yūgi."

"Huh?" the younger of the two instantly ceased in his actions and turned around to give the Pharaoh his full attention. Quite the opposite, the spirit's eyes were elsewhere in the room. A second passed as he composed himself and nodded to Yūgi. "I...ah.. must speak with you about an important matter."

Innocently, Yūgi double blinked and took a step closer, "All right. It sounds urgent, Pharaoh."

"It is. I...don't actually know how to come out and say this so... I will be frank with you."

"Go on, Pharaoh," Yūgi insisted delicately. He then glanced to the bed and started to pad over to it, "Should I sit down first?"

"No. This will be brief. But I need to..." he paused mid-sentence to change his confession to a question instead, " Yūgi, if I were to decide to... begin a ...ah... relationship... with someone...how would you react to that?"

Cutely, Yūgi double blinked. His body slowly began to descend to the edge of the bed. He already had an individual in mind and the thought of the Pharaoh wanting to explore more with them made him uneasy. It took a moment for him to gather his words, "Should I even ask who it is?"

The spirit allowed a beat to pass before he responded, "If...that is what you want, I'll tell you."

"From the look on your face, I already know who it is so I won't ask."

"Y-you do? Are you sure?"

"Yeah...and to be honest, I'm not comfortable at all with you wanting to be with them...but if it's what Anzu wants then..."

"Anzu? Haha. No, I was not speaking of her."

"You weren't?" Yūgi enthused a bit too loudly, leaping to his feet. Laughing, the Pharaoh waved the folly away, " No, I wasn't. I was referring to someone else."

"Oh!" Yūgi noted, sitting back down more comfortably this time, "Well then who is it? Is it someone I know?"

"... Yes..." The Pharaoh answered lowly. The image of Kaiba already formed in his mind, "We all know of this individual."

Yūgi's brows began to raise higher with each passing second as he tried to pinpoint exactly who this person was. But then he stopped himself. "Okay. You don't have to tell me who it is. I respect your decision with being honest with me about it. But, if you want to have a relationship with someone you don't need my permission."

The Pharaoh nearly jumped a foot in the air from this answer. However, he couldn't help but feel that it was obtained much too easily. He had to calm himself and make sure Yūgi understood all of what he was asking. "You... _do_ know what I am asking you for, right?"

"Sure I do, Pharaoh. You want to know if you can have time to go hang out with them and go on dates, right?"

"Ah, not exactly," the spirit replied. It was almost humorous how innocently Yūgi was considering his request to be.

"You want to go on a trip with them for a couple days or a week? Or have some kind of sleepover? Because if you do, I'd have to miss even more days of school and I don't think I should really do that..."

"You misunderstand, Little One," the Pharaoh interrupted. The weight of his next statement had him exchanging his pride for modesty and awkwardness. The moment he breathed a sound, the uneasiness was clear in his tone, "I don't wish to just pursue any type of relationship, Yūgi...I wish to have a rather... intimate relationship with this individual..."

Yūgi blinked.

"As in, a physical..."

"...You mean-?"

"...And for that, I would need to use your body like my own," he blurted out in one gentle breath. Ashamed, he turned away, "I know this is an invasion of your privacy, but I wanted to ask."

Yūgi was silent, eyes wider than usual. He blankly stared at the spirit, thinking that maybe he heard him wrong. Slowly, his mouth parted, but not a single drop of sound emerged. The air in the room filled quickly with a tension so dense, Yūgi's vision began to blur. Was the spirit actually asking him if he could have sex—with his body? While he was almost close to considering it for short term purposes, the repercussions the future would hold on such a decision convinced him it was a bad idea. While he would step up and fully sacrifice his virginity for the spirit to find happiness with another, he couldn't shake the possibilities of how much of a mistake this would be for the both of them. He may not have been able to do much, but he was determined to protect his comrade.

"No," Yūgi whispered. It was barely audible, but the body language Yūgi was displaying alone caused the spirit's hopes to drop like a boulder in his stomach. In spite of that, his pain was hidden when he called to him out of concern.

"Yūgi?"

"No. Pharaoh, I'm sorry. It's just... suppose I let you use my body for that... How would you carry on a relationship, needing a host like you're some sort of parasite? How would I carry on with my own life? Suppose I got a girlfriend or wanted to get married? Suppose we both wanted to have a wife at the same time? How would we juggle our lives then? We couldn't do that to each other, or the ones we loved. It wouldn't be fair to them and it certainly wouldn't be fair to you or to me."

"..." There was actual sincerity in Yūgi's words that the Pharaoh could clearly pick up on. The little one's concern was more on others than himself. While that was admirable, there were hints of him caring about the outcome of his own life as well. And that was just as it should be. Softly, the Pharaoh gave Yūgi a small smile to ease his discomfort, "I understand. I apologize, Aibou."

"No, I want to apologize to you, Pharaoh. You were being honest with me and I denied you something that I haven't even experienced yet."

"It's all right. Your vessel is yours to do with as you see fit. This...other individual and I will have to figure something out on our own, but I will not betray you nor your trust, Yūgi. You have my word."

To this, Yūgi smiled jubilantly, his features exhibiting a cherub-like innocence, "I know and I'm grateful that I can trust you!"

"Yes," the Pharaoh nodded. The tension in the air soon lifted and Yūgi was off gathering his belongings for school. And while the Pharaoh was pleased that he had protected and still could earn Yūgi's trust, he wasn't so sure he could trust himself nor his own swarm of emotions. And that bothered him.

**oOo**

Later that evening, Yūgi walked to the Kaiba mansion and aided Mokuba with any scholastic needs he may have. This particular meeting was much more short lived than the last and hardly a half an hour had passed before Mokuba went to call his girlfriend. He said he would be back, and told Yūgi not to leave. The older teen thought the younger Kaiba wasn't being a very good host, but he agreed to wait anyway.

7 minutes had passed since Mokuba left for the phone. Yūgi kept himself occupied with a word game he played at one of the many gaming pedestal tables. The spirit had been rather silent since they arrived at the lavish establishment and Yūgi didn't press him for any conversation unless it was offered. His short legs hovered above the floor as he swung them back and forth in the comfy chair he sat in. He hummed a distant tune and was rather pleased with his free time until a flicker of a shadow swiped across his line of vision. Pausing in his game, he looked up curiously to identify what he saw and found himself staring into the cool blue eyes of Seto Kaiba himself.

The proud CEO stood with his arms and legs crossed while leaning against one of the walls in the den. His hair was slightly layered with telltale signs of having the ends trimmed. A light swirl of navy blue silk clung snugly to his neck and torso while his legs were dipped in sinfully glossed black. He looked like he just stepped out of one of those fancy cologne commercials that made absolutely no sense and was waiting for his 5 minutes break to end. Feeling tense all of a sudden, Yūgi looked behind him, then from side to side, and finally returned his attention to Seto. There was no mistake, the pompous male was staring dead straight at him. Nervously, he tugged on a spiked lock of hair and forced a sheepish laugh, "Um... Kaiba? Can I help you with something?"

"... Maybe..." The word left his lips like a chilled breeze and the matching smirk that accompanied it made Yūgi shudder. Then all of a sudden, he felt himself grow angry at Seto for reasons he wasn't even aware of. Distraught, he sought out the other within him, "Uhh Pharaoh?" he wondered, in a way that only the spirit would hear. To Seto, Yūgi was just sitting there staring off into space, not saying a word.

"Pharaoh, is something wrong?"

"...I would prefer it if we left," he responded in an imperative tone. His behavior caught Yūgi off guard. "I know you're not always thrilled to see Kaiba glaring down at someone, but you're a lot more upset today than you were yesterday."

"I would just rather not be here now."

"Did something happen between you and Kaiba, Pharaoh? Did you two have a fight?"

"I do not wish to speak about it."

"Hey. Yūgi," Seto spoke up; his summon breaking the exchange between Yūgi and the spirit. With a startled blink, the younger teen gave Seto his full attention, "Y-yeah? What is it?"

"Where is Mokuba?"He inquired flatly.

"Huh? Oh! Is that why you came down here? Don't worry, he's almost done with his homework! He understands it a lot better now!"

"That isn't what I asked you. Where is my little brother..." he repeated, his words carrying the inflection of wanting to make sure Mokuba wouldn't be returning to that room anytime soon. Of course, this implication in tone was lost on Yūgi and he innocently took Seto's words at face value.

"Oh! Uh, calling his girlfriend. Why?"

To this, Seto pushed himself away from the wall and walked smoothly over to the table. Yūgi felt his breath hitch in his throat with each detailed step. If he didn't know better, he would have easily thought each step Seto took across the carpet was specifically tailored for him alone to glide across it in such a way. Upon reaching the table, Seto glared down at Yūgi with such piercing eyes that held an encoded emotion the little one failed horribly at trying to read. He was never really any good at reading Kaiba. The spirit was much better at it than he was.

"Oh, you must want to duel the other me. I'll get him for you," Yūgi surmised and already started to get his other's attention. But each time, the younger was met with refusal. His features scrunched in puzzlement. Just what could have occurred between these two that the spirit would absolutely refuse to show himself in Kaiba's presence? Apologetically, Yūgi peered up at Seto with childlike eyes, "Sorry, Kaiba. The other me doesn't want to come out. I guess he's not in the mood to duel with you right now."

"...I don't want him for a duel..."

"Huh?" Yūgi blinked. But he didn't have time to question that odd statement when Seto grabbed him tightly by the arm and yanked him out of the chair. "You're coming with me," he stated coldly. Yūgi had to force himself to stay on his feet, despite having fallen down twice while Kaiba hauled him through the rooms of the mansion. "Kaiba! Wait! Slow down!" Yūgi pleaded, gazing helplessly up at the taller male for any sign of sympathy. He didn't gain a response. He didn't even earn a glare. Seto spoke not a word until he reached a room that was secluded from the rest of the spacious luxury. This room had only a single door, and a keypad next to it. Yūgi took this time to catch his breath and hunched over, grasping his abdomen with his free hand. "Ka...Kaiba... What...What's wrong?"

"Close your eyes," Seto replied sharply. Easily intimidated, Yūgi shrank to his knees but did as he was ordered. He heard Seto punch in some sort of numeric code and what he guess was the door open with a mechanical swish.

"C-can I open my eyes now Kai—aahhh!" Yūgi cried as Seto yanked him by the arm again and dragged him into the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Seto gave Yūgi's arm a good tug that pulled him to his feet. He had forgotten what the carpet felt like beneath his feet, but his nostalgia lasted for a mere second before he was thrown into the air. With a cry, he landed on some rather expensive silk bedsheets and a very firm bed. Due to his petite stature, he bounced atop it twice while trying to gain some sort of control.

From the other side of the room, Seto observed the smallish male with displeased eyes. Since his encounter with the spirit the day before, he took it upon himself to test the theory of there being two Yūgis. And so far, from what he could see, this one was the Yūgi he had no interest in. The other Yūgi would still be dragged across the floor, but at least he would protest and put up a fight. He would attempt to do something. And since this little stunt didn't bring the spirit out, Seto had to turn things up a notch. His lips curved into a slight smirk as he reached up and touched his fingers to the rim of his turtleneck.

Yūgi had tears in his eyes now. He was confused, hurt and unsettled all at once. Still short on breath, he struggled to sit on his knees with his shoes on the bed. And in addition to his discomfort, he was startled when he lifted his head and found out just had close Kaiba had moved towards him. The CEO's face was dangerously close to his and Yūgi caught an involuntary glimpse of a hint of skin in a narrow v shape from Kaiba's neck to his chest where his shirt was unbuttoned. His face grew hot with panic and he fell backwards onto the sheets. Smoothly, with the fluidity of a feline, Seto followed him and clamped both hands down on each arm. "Ahhh!" Yūgi cried, writhing under Kaiba, "Why...why are you doing this?"

"Don't feel special. This isn't directed towards you."

"H-huh?"

"..." Seto's frown deepened. This was taking longer than he expected. He remembered witnessing quite a few times when Yūgi was put under extreme situations, his bolder side emerged almost instantly. So what was the problem, now? As Seto picked away at speculations and hypothesizes, Yūgi peered up at him with large questioning eyes. It was then that a new realization broke over him. The conversation he had with the Pharaoh earlier that morning played over in his mind. Someone they all knew... Someone he needed to use a body for... And the way Seto was advancing like the two of them had already been intimate... "No..." Yugi whispered. All of this was too much for Yūgi to comprehend and he surrendered to his weakness. Less than a second later, a silver studded boot pressed against Seto's abdomen and slender fingers curled around his shirt just tightly enough to let someone know they had just earned themselves a death wish.

"Get off!" a deep, familiar voice rumbled. With a grunt, the spirit put as much strength as he could into his leg and forced Kaiba away from him. Partially awed that there really was another persona in that midget, Kaiba allowed himself to be pushed a few steps back. Now things have gotten interesting. Finally freed, the spirit sat straight up immediately on the bed and started to swing his legs over the edge. But Seto was not letting him out of his sight just yet. With an amused sound, he buttoned his shirt and strolled over to the Pharaoh. The spirit froze for a moment, taking in the sight of such a breathtaking Adonis moving towards him. The eidolon tensed. His initial instinct was to run, to get out of there. But he knew Kaiba. Every window and door within that room had to have been already been locked by remote during sometime he didn't see. By the time he processed these deductions, his sensual predator had closed in on him.

"That's something different. I would have expected you to have tried to leave. Acquainted with my bed, are we?"

"Why did you bring Yūgi here," the spirit demanded, changing the subject. There was a twinge of glossed frigid azure lining his fiery eyes. Seto found the challenge of the retaliation in those liquidy eyes amusing, to say the least, but the redundancy of the 'question' made him frown."Think."

"I am asking you."

"We weren't finished last night."

The spirit flinched slightly from those last two words. The weight of them made him feel instantly guilty as if he and Seto had conjugated somehow on a spiritual level through their eyes alone yesterday. "Then you are on your own. I have no interest in 'finishing' what was started last night between us, Seto. Misunderstandings are better left forgotten."

"Hmph. Changed your mind already? You can't lie to me, Yūgi," Seto warned, leaning his face directly in front of the spirit's. He placed a hand on the center of that lean chest and pushed him backwards onto the bed. The spirit pressed his hands against Seto's shoulders to move him away, but the moment he made contact with the broadness underneath his clothing, his intent began to lack its potency. He couldn't deny to himself what he wanted for much longer. And Seto would use this as a weapon against him. Seto's thick locks brushed over the spirit's forehead, mingling mahogany with muted blonde. Overwhelmed with emotion, despite his strong vows to not betray Yūgi with mistreatment of body, the spirit shut his eyes and parted his lips to receive a kiss.

But such a thing never came. Slowly, he cracked one eye open, then the other followed suit. The two of them stared at each other; their thoughts and unspoken emotions delving into the other through their jeweled eyes. The spirit wanted to abandon all at that moment. He wanted to cup Seto's face in his hands. He wanted to roughly claim his lips and seize his mouth with his demanding tongue. He wanted to feel those hands all over his body. No, it wasn't his. In that respect, he would want those hands all over Yūgi's body. Not his. Not his...

Crestfallen, he was the first to break eye contact with his rival and turned his head to the side atop the sheets. "... Seto...I..." the spirit trailed off, a great respect in that spoken name, "I can't..."

"Because of that runt's body, right?"

"Yūgi's. Yes."

"Look at me."

"...I shouldn't-"

"I said," Seto continued, placing a hand under the spirit's chin and turning his head to face him, "look. At. Me."

"Seto...don't make me regret my promise to Yūgi..."

"...Tell me, is this permanent? You being trapped in that body..."

"I don't know"

"... How can you not know about something that concerns you?"

"I don't know at all, Seto... I have no suitable answers for you. Is that what you want me to tell you? I don't know. So it is pointless for us to continue on like this... It is useless for me to have these...feelings. There is no reason you should keep me here like—"

"Shut up..." Seto hissed, lowering his head so his words feathered over the spirit's lips. It wasn't a kiss like they both would have wanted, but the spirit silenced his complaints within the instant. It would seem that Seto was honoring the spirit's wish of respecting Yūgi's body in his own way. And with those restrictions, it was painfully difficult for them both to withhold from the other what they felt.

A gentle sigh left the spirit and he closed his eyes, "I would give anything to have my own body, Seto," he spoke candidly; his truths touching Kaiba's lips. While his words were honest, he was beginning to sound like quite the hypocrite. The idea was much too tempting. In any other circumstance, Seto would have made the eidolon his as long as the spirit held an inkling of interest for him. But he didn't want to ruin something, or someone, that he could not cease thinking about. As much as Seto wanted to taste those beckoning lips beneath him him and allow himself to be devoured in return, he pulled away from the luscious male on his bed and stood to his feet.

He didn't bother to give the other occupant in is room another look and turned his back to him. A whirr of mechanical parts clicking together or apart filled the room one right after the other and the front door to the room slide to the side. Sitting up, the Pharaoh observed with curiosity to the meaning of such an action on Kaiba's part and sent his voice in the shape of that name to find out.

Seto was silent for a moment, with an air around him that the spirit could clearly decipher as the taller male gathering his unborn words to speak. "Go back to help Mokuba or go home," he stated coolly. The spirit winced at this rare display of being given a multiple choice option by Kaiba. "You're actually encouraging me to make my own decision in your presence?" he mocked in a haughty air.

"Don't make me change my mind. I'm still not through with you yet."

"Nor am I with you..." the spirit agreed gingerly. When Seto said nothing more, the slender male slid off of the bed and straightened out his clothes as best he could with his hands. He wasn't in the mood to go back downstairs and approach Mokuba like nothing had happened and he certainly did not want to return home just yet. The thought of needing to speak with Yūgi about what went on tonight made him frown. He couldn't hide his guilty heart from his younger counterpart now. The little one was bound to demand answers to questions the Pharaoh would not want to surface. But it was all unavoidable now.

"Stop sulking," Seto stated, not even needing to be looking at the Pharaoh to know he was moping. He was stronger than this. His resolve swiftly resurrected, the spirit nodded and walked over to Kaiba. He paused in his steps when the two of them were side by side. The spirit kept his eyes straight ahead of him as he asked, " Would you like me to return around the same time tomorrow? I believe it best we never speak of this again, but I already know that is not going to happen."

"I'll think about it, but the answer will most likely be no," A beat passed, "No."

"Very well, Kaiba. I am certain that I will need to have a rather long talk with Yūgi. You've probably traumatized him," the spirit uttered, stealing a sideways glance to his intellectual counterpart. Much to his surprise, those searing blue eyes had already been locked on him. He had been devoured multiple times in a plethora of different ways by those eyes and he didn't even realize it until now. In a moment of bashfulness, the spirit tore his gaze away, but kept his emotions hidden—outwardly, "In any case, I shall take my leave."

"Wait."

"Hmm?" the spirit wondered, turning to face Kaiba fully. Silence passed between them. Seto's form was nearly completely cast in silhouette from the way the city lights outside beamed into the windows of the corridor that led to this room. His frigid sapphires hummed with an octave of expectancy and calculation. It was no surprise when the spirit was grabbed by the rim of his shirt and pulled close. Seto leaned down towards his rival; their noses brushing and their lips a needle's width apart. The gesture dared each of them to make a move—a dishonest move—that would result in a certain someone's trust being shattered and a specific ruler's word reduced to meaningless tatters. But instead of breaking that trust, Seto passed something from his pocket to the spirit's.

"Use it," Seto breathed, his instructions tickling over the spirit's lips, teasing him and extracting a sound of frustrated lust from him. It took a lot of will-power for Kaiba to retract back at that time, but he managed to do it and keep a straight face. The Pharaoh on the other hand appeared a bit dazed in his yearning for the forbidden and licked his lips to remind him of what transpired the night before. Pure desire played over his fiery eyes for a second, and that was long enough for Seto to clearly catch it.

The Pharaoh snapped out of his trance and checked his pocket. He pulled out a shiny black square that had a screen and a keypad with numbers and letters. He blinked, "A cell phone?"

"The only numbers you need to know are already programmed into it. I've let Mokuba use it once for about a week, but he should have cleared all his information off of it by now. Call me after the runt goes to sleep."

"Kaiba..." the spirit couldn't help but feel a warm smile start to spread over his lips, "thank you for your generosity. But you don't have to.."

"Stop talking. You know what to do," he reminded, placing a finger to the spirit's mouth. Resisting the urge to shove that finger in between those succulent lips, Seto drew an invisible line over them instead and ended it beneath his chin. There was a weighty emotion swimming in his eyes that he wanted to act upon but chose otherwise. And the toll of that decision was painfully obvious.

"Now, get out,"Seto voiced lowly. With that, he turned on his heels and retreated into his room. The spirit watched him with a sense of longing wavering in his eyes. "...Kaiba..."

oOo

The Turtle Game Shop seemed further and further away the more steps he took towards it. The spirit didn't feel like catching a chauffeured ride back and decided to walk. He wanted to delay giving Yūgi control as much as he could before the younger wanted to retire to bed. All the while, his mind was littered with Kaiba, their little encounter tonight, what he did to draw out Yūgi that he still was not too pleased with, and what possibilities they may have with having some sort of relationship. He was positive that the two of them would not want to continue to torture themselves with boundaries they knew they could not cross again. How long would they be able to stand this?

Once he entered the shop, the spirit slowly and dispassionately did his regular nightly routine. He made sure the shop was locked up; he made sure Yūgi had food in his stomach; he showered and got Yūgi dressed in his pajamas. Reluctantly, he swapped places with his other; watching him with dejected eyes under the sheets. Despite the negativity he felt for letting the little one to be traumatized in finding hidden skeletons in his closet, the spirit was the first to utter a sound, "Little One..."

"...Please...let me sleep, Pharaoh..." Yūgi whispered into the curve of the pillow. Although he wanted to let Yūgi sleep, the spirit also felt compelled to continue on. He may as well put an end to this now that it had started. "I apologize Yūgi. We must talk of this now."

"What is there to talk about?" Yūgi cried, suddenly sitting up in the bed. His soft eyes glared poison at the Pharaoh; his hands balled into fists tautly clutching the sheets in his lap as if for dear life. "You didn't keep your promise to me and what's worse is that you weren't upfront with me about who you wanted to be 'intimate' with!"

"Yūgi...!"

"I could have been raped or worse!"

"Kaiba is not the type to-"

"And even worse than that is you let him drag me through the mansion! If you just told me everything instead of leaving out important details, I wouldn't be so upset with you like I am right now!"

"Now hold on! I offered to tell who who it was that I wanted to pursue a relationship with but after thinking it was Anzu and it wasn't, you no longer wanted to know. Isn't that true?"

"Yeah it's true, but-"

"Then you have no room to accuse me of lying, nor betrayal!"

"I don't know if you two have already had sex with my body or not, Pharaoh! Can't you understand how I feel?"

"We did nothing of the sort. It's true we did share a kiss last night, but it was not planned or plotted. It was...an accident."

That was a white lie. While the kiss was in fact unexpected enough to be considered accidental in its happening, it was resumed more than twice. And that was no accident. That was deliberate, regardless of the result afterward. But Yūgi, the forgiving and understanding Yūgi, accepted that fib. To calm himself, he took in a deep breath and slouched on the exhale. "I want to believe you, Pharaoh. I want to be able to trust you on this."

"Yūgi, I swear to you, after that, I made it very clear to Kaiba that he was not to violate your body in any way."

"... … ...Do you really want to be with him, Pharaoh?" Yūgi wondered, just above a whisper. His orchid orbs studied the spirit's form, seeking truth. There are a pause between them. What exactly did the Pharaoh want? He wanted more of what he could not obtain himself from not having a body. He wanted more of Kaiba's company. He wanted to feel. He wanted to taste. He wanted to be challenged. He wanted the physical, mental, and spiritual bond one mate would share with the other. What he wanted was vividly clear and he uttered it without realizing.

"Seto..."

Hearing that name caused Yūgi to tense and he clutched the bedsheets in his discomfort.

"... … … So that's your answer, right?"

"... Yes..." the weight in that single word spread was unsoundable. But he was honest, not just with Yūgi, and not just towards Kaiba, but to himself most of all. He no longer wanted to lie to himself. He wanted to fully explore these feelings he sampled a taste of and dared to experience. He wanted a sexual, and emotional, relationship with Seto Kaiba. He didn't need to suppress that anymore. "Yes, Yūgi. I want to be with him."

"For how long?"

"Length doesn't matter as long as I am able to freely do as I please with him without feeling like I am holding back or limited out of care and respect for a vessel that is not my own."

"... Pharaoh..."

"You asked and I answered. That is all. It is not your responsibility to feel obliged to help me obtain what I want or need. That is my doing. I will not ask you to step out of the boundary you have set and I respect your choices. Kaiba and I will find another way," the Pharaoh concluded, turning away from Yūgi, "Now I bid you goodnight. You've had enough _excitement_ for one day, Little One, for lack of a better term."

"Pharaoh..." Yūgi murmured. But he didn't bother the eidolon, and allowed him to leave the room. Once he was gone, he sank into the sheets on his side and pulled them upto his chin. His large eyes stared into a collaboration of nothingness in the room until he the outcome of all events that had happened today came to rest and succumbed him to sleep.

After an hour of slumber, the spirit approached Yūgi and softly apologized before gaining control of his body. He wandered down to the living room area, having stopped by the bathroom to retrieve the cell phone Seto had given him to use. He eyed it momentarily, not certain of what to say when he contacted Kaiba. But his delaying was foolish. After taking a deep breath, he began fiddling with the device. It took him about 5 minutes to figure out how to locate the programmed number and press a button to make the call. On the first ring, the call was answered. "It took you long enough.," Kaiba snorted, "And because I'm sure the midget said no, I've come up with an idea."

"What? What have you obtained?"

"I'll be able to show you in about a month, 2 weeks if I'm lucky."

"Kaiba..."

"We are going to make this work. I refuse to accept anything less. And if I am something you want, then I won't allow you to back out."

"Hahaha..." the spirit chortled. Seto always seemed to know just how to amuse him, no matter how serious the situation. "Thank you, Kaiba."

"And don't call me that either. I'm also assuming your real name isn't Yūgi."

"We have not discovered it just yet, but I feel we are very close to."

"Hmm that's not very assuring."

"For now, Yūgi will do. Or rather Yami Yūgi."

"Fine. Yami. Until you find out who you actually are, I guess that will have to be acceptable."

"Very well."

"Now that that's settled, I don't want to see you for a month. I can't be distracted by the sight of you, but hearing your voice is fine. So call me tomorrow."

"I will. After Yūgi goes to sleep."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm leaving now."

"Good night, Seto..."

The CEO was quiet. It was as if he were letting the way his name was said simmer from Yami's lips. "Yeah," was all he stated before hanging up. When the call ended, Yami lowered the phone and stared at its screen. He brought his thumb over the name listed under Recently Called. A warm smile curved his lips as he silently thanked Seto and allowed his being to be filled with thoughts of him.

oOo

Guhhhhh This chapter didn't take too long. Sorry there's so much teasing! I think it's obvious what Seto has planned.

Now, following in the trend of the first chapter...

**ooc!**

Yami: Yūgi, let me use your body for smex

Yūgi: Noes! I want to keep control of my body! Suppose I get a girlfriend?

Yami: You won't.

Yūgi: Rebecca?

Yami: She's underage.

Yūgi: Anzu?

Yami: HA! That's a good one.

Yūgi: ***s**ulk***** I still say no!

Yami: Oh all right.

Kaiba: Why do I only get a cameo here? And why was I the only one to cut through your angst?

Yami: Because you're smexy like that?

Yūgi: I AM BEING DRAGGED ACROSS THE FLOOR BY KAIBA!

Yūgi: I AM BEING DRAGGED UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS BY KAIBA!

Yūgi: I AM BEING THROWN ONTO THE BED BY KAI—ohh nice. Silk.

Yami: Seto, I want you. But I can't betray Yūgi. Blah Blah Blah. Let us pretend kiss multiple times.

Yami: Since you had a cameo, I am going to leave now, own Yūgi in a conversation and then give you call.

Mokuba: I forgot I was in this story. And who is this nondescript girlfriend of mine?

Yami: ...Uh...To the next chapter we go!

**ooc!**

To be continued.

Please give me some feedback! Good, bad, and in-between! I want to know!

-Mel


	3. Way to Rapture

_**A/N: Thank you, Jolly!**_

Beyond His Body

Chapter 3

OoO

"You want to send me WHERE?" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly to his brother. Seto glanced up from his the paperwork in front of him to address his brother with a light smile, "Yeah, you heard me right. Europe is where your girlfriend is, isn't it? That's where all your calls have been going to lately."

"Aheh... A-actually she's from America, but she's currently visiting in Europe. There's an event there that she wanted to attend," the raven-haired teen grinned sheepishly while nervously pawing at back of his head, " But what's funny is that she did ask if I could show up to support her, but I told her I couldn't. Now, I can surprise her! Thanks, Seto!" Mokuba cheered. He dashed behind Seto's desk and threw his arms around his brother in a thankful hug. Seto chuckled at this, but he didn't return the hug. He just welcomed it, while floating his eyes over the project before him.

"Uh huh. You can leave as soon as you like. Just promise me one thing, Mokuba."

"What's that?" the younger asked candidly, gazing up at his brother with lucid, tender eyes that caused Seto's to narrow. He wished he could be able to believe the sincerity swimming in his brother's eyes, but because he was a male, Seto knew better. Not only that, but Mokuba had a double negativity against him for being Seto's brother and a male. Seto certainly didn't trust himself when it came to being in Yami's invigorating presence, so he knew Mokuba's hormones had to be more frantic than his own. The sour look on Seto's face made Mokuba's expression soften. He could catch onto his brother's thoughts from the dubious look his azure orbs were giving him, "Uh oh... I think I know what you're gonna say."

"Good, then I'll say it again for clarity," Seto began, leaning his face close to Mokuba's like a reprimanding parent to make absolutely certain that he got his points across, "Do not come back here with any babies and do not call me to say that the condom broke."

"Aw! C'mon, Seto! I don't wanna be there THAT long!" Mokuba retorted incredulously, matching his brother's glare, "Give me more credit than that, would ya? This is me you're talking about! I haven't even stolen a kiss from this girl yet! Uh- I mean-!"

"...You're my brother. I can't trust you any better than I can trust myself. No kids. Keep it in your pants."

"Stop talking like that already!" Mokuba shuddered, stepping back to rub his arms as if doing so would remove all of the discomfort he gained from his brother's words.

"S-so, when are you getting a girlfriend?" Mokuba stammered, attempting to change the subject.

"... I don't need one, Mokuba," Seto returned, his eyes retreating back to the task in front of him.

"A boyfriend, then?" the younger shrugged.

"Are you leaving to see this girl or not?" Seto retorted, sternly; a curt frown across his lips. It appeared that Mokuba hadn't caught on about him and Yami just yet. And until Seto had completed his "gift" to Yami, he wanted to make sure Mokuba was as far away from that truth as possible. Mokuba sighed, knowing Seto meant business. He casually folded his arms behind his head to mask his failure of trying to pry into his brother's personal life. "So, where's my ticket? Did you buy them already?"

"Roland will take you. You can stay there as long as long as you want this month, provided I get to see you every now and then," Seto stated plainly, not looking up from his work. "Gotcha, big bro. And thanks! But what will you be doing while I'm gone?"

"Exactly what you see me doing now. But don't worry. I may finish this sooner than I think."

"Okay. I guess I'll get ready to go then. Don't work too hard, okay?" Mokuba called over his shoulder as he started to approach the double doors. Seto looked up from his work to give Mokuba one more look before he returned his divided attention to his desk, "And tell Rebecca she's hired if she still wants that I.T. position."

"Okay. Sure thing. I'll- Hey! How did you know it was her?"

"Who else do you know of that lives in America?"

"Ehh good point. All right, I'm going now! See you in a few weeks, Seto!" Mokuba waved, leaving out the door. "Take your time," Seto replied lowly, already focusing on his work. Roughly an hour later, once Seto gained confirmation that Mokuba was safely in the air on his way to see his girlfriend, Seto took a small break and leaned back in his chair. Arms crossed, a heavy sigh proliferated into the room as Seto's eyes skirted over the task in front of him. Scattered papers of ideas and concepts drawn in complex variations that ranged from scribbles to intricate code littered his desk. Seto had worked relentlessly in ways that made any thought of sleep a mortal enemy.

But he wanted to create a world for Yami and himself and that was exactly what his field of expertise was going to enable him to do. And from where he stood in comparison to Yami in terms of personal prowess, this was the least he could do. There was something about the former ruler that Seto felt he could never actually reach; tangibly or status-wise. That something made Yami that much more desirable and Seto wanted everything Yami had that made him what he was and who he was. He had felt an attraction to the former ruler several months after their first meeting during the Duelist Kingdom fiasco. Seto wanted to defeat Yami in a duel a great deal, but he wanted even more than that. Perhaps, he wanted to even continue losing to Yami. Only Yami. Him never being able to best his greatest rival, and greatest lust, was becoming the norm.

As the years plucked their melodies to the chords of time, Seto found his animosity and urges to best the Pharaoh assimilate into something of more substance. Something, of a more tangible substance. There was obsession of course, but the emotions that surfaced two nights ago had ventured deeper than that. It was something Seto had not bothered to name; he would always feel it when Yami was near or in his direct line of vision. But each time, he forced it aside and his pride surfaced as the more prominent entity.

He had only been close to Mokuba. He loved his little brother. He was the world to him. But ever since that kiss with Yami, that world had been torn from under him and a void of uncertainty replaced it. He didn't love Mokuba any less, but that void had made his life larger than anything his only family could fill within him. And now, the closest thing Seto could speculate to fill that gaping void were the ways he felt in regards to Yami as well as Yami himself.

Curtly, he swore under his breath while skimming over a list of plans and designs that he had written just minutes ago. All of this was absurd. His emotions were out of control and he hated that he couldn't put a harness on them. He even felt foolish laboring endlessly to bring his idea to life so he and Yami could effectively evolve their relationship. In all honesty, he didn't know what that relationship was. He knew he wanted Yami. The end. The majority of the deeper details didn't matter to him at this point. He only desired what was his. And he wanted to believe that Yami wanted the exact same thing.

While thoughts of his rival continuously seeped into his work, occasionally his eyes would slide over to the cell phone atop a corner of his desk. Although it was agreed upon that Yami would call him later that night after Yūgi went to bed, he still did not want to miss a call by any means. He knew such hopeful behavior was nonsensical, but he had no reason to lie to himself about this. That, and his fruitless circle of thoughts was getting him nowhere. Seto then returned to his elaborate brainstorming and construction, while slowly beginning to block out any and all distractions from his mind.

oOo

For the umpteenth time that day, the former Pharaoh found himself looking at the time on one of the few clocks that littered the game shop. It was foolish and served no eventful purpose, yet he felt obliged to do it anyway. He knew he was only being paranoid. Yūgi wouldn't sleep until after dusk and the morning had only just begun. Speaking of the little one, the spirit's younger counterpart had gotten dressed for school and was waiting for his friends to greet him at the front door. He and Yami had not spoken more than two words of salutation to the other when Yūgi woke up. It was a rather unsettling situation; each of them not fully knowing how the other felt towards the happenings of the night before. However, Yami could tell that Yūgi had been more forgiving than he originally thought he would be.

Nothing was spoken in regards to the occurrences of last night. Yūgi wasn't even aware of the cell phone, the call to Seto, nor the name Seto could now address Yami as. The eidolon didn't like to keep things from his younger other, but it seemed that things that dealt with Kaiba and his personal life were the only exceptions to that dislike. Yami wanted to keep Yūgi and Seto as far apart as could be allowed for now. In spite of all of that, he was rather eager to call Seto and 11 pm couldn't come soon enough.

"So... are you ready to find out your name, Pharaoh?"

"Hmm?" Yami questioned richly; the sudden sound of Yūgi's voice toppling him out of his thoughts. He hoped Yūgi didn't catch on to any behaviors he might have exhibited while daydreaming and did his best to keep a cool expression, "What do you mean, Yūgi?"

"Huh? Don't tell me you forgot already about what we all planned on doing next week, Pharaoh!" the little one reminded with a faint smile that was a flicker away from being genuine. His discomfort still lingered, but he was trying his hardest to push it aside to be cheerful for the spirit. He was strong, so Yūgi inwardly declared that he should be as well. Maybe one day he would understand the draw the other him had towards Kaiba.

"We talked with Anzu, Tristan and Joey about it. Anzu saved up enough of her money for dancing school in order to do this for you, remember?" he mentioned with a dejected tone that lasted for only a second. It was as if he were comparing such an act of his crush's doing to something she's never done for him instead. Then his features regained their near familiar brightness again; his chipper bangs bouncing about his soft face, "So it would be best for us to help you out as soon as we can."

"Yes... I agree..." Yami returned, bemused. It was obvious where his true thoughts lingered despite his attempts to mask them. Yūgi's brows knitted together in mock frustration, "Pharaoh, if you keep thinking about Kaiba, you've never going to be able to leave him behind..."

"I am aware of that..." he replied hotly. Then he sighed and placed a hand to his forehead, "I apologize, Yūgi. I should not be thinking of him now. There are other things that require both of our attentions. Firstly, when are we leaving for school?"

"...Do you want to see Kaiba?" Yūgi asked directly. His eyes were stern, but his body fidgeted nervously. He didn't want to offend the Pharaoh, but he did want to know where he stood in all of this. And since it would be his body that the spirit was inhabiting, Yūgi _had_ to know. But Yami didn't have a direct answer. He wanted to see Seto, of course, but he also wanted to stay out of his way for at least two weeks. Yami would never be able to forgive himself if he abruptly returned to his afterlife from obtaining his true name and doing so before Kaiba finished the task he asked to be waited on. It would be best for the both of them if he just waited for Seto to achieve completion.

"Pharaoh?"

"No. No, Yūgi, I am fine without seeing him for now. However, I do not wish to rush into returning to my time now that I know it's within my reach."

"Kaiba told you to wait for something, didn't he?"

Yami blinked. It always astounded him how his other half could catch on to the things revolving around his existence without even being told. What was even more surprising was that with that ability, Yūgi hadn't been aware of what emotions stirred between Seto and Yami until the night before. The former Pharaoh still was not pleased by Seto's behavior towards Yūgi in order to draw him out, but he was willing to forgive. When Yami didn't answer right away, Yūgi already deduced the answer. "He did, I knew it. Pharaoh, you don't have to feel obligated if you want to return."

"I am aware, Yūgi," Yami affirmed, giving the younger a look that told him to stop rushing him, "However, I do wish to remain here a little longer. Besides, our friends deserve to have a great time together before we part our ways, don't you agree?"

Now this was something Yūgi wanted to hear. An honest smile basked his composed features with an angel-like innocence. Yūgi was Yūgi again."Yeah! That sounds fantastic, Pharaoh! We can go wherever we want! Classes this semester will be over soon. Oh! I've got to call Anzu and tell her to save her money! I'm gonna go do that right now! Then I have to catch the bus!" Yūgi exclaimed gleefully. Yami watched his other dash out of the main room into the living room in his exhilaration. Gradually, a gentle smile touched Yami's lips and he laughed lightly. He was glad Yūgi had returned to being his old cheerful self again.

The spirit was glad to be a part of his Aibou's world for little moments like these. While his decision to delay gaining his true name seemed like a distraction, Yami actually did want to spend time with his and Yūgi's friends. In addition to that, their company would help him take his mind off of the remainder of the day until night descended.

OoO

Finally, the cloak of night washed over the town, wearing the city lights as its embellishments. After Yūgi was well asleep, in a similar fashion to the night before, Yami crept downstairs to the living room with cell phone in have and called Seto. On the first half ring, the call was answered.

"Yami..." Kaiba addressed in a breathy and cautious voice. Perplexed at the reaction, Yami curiously tilted his head to the side, "Seto? Is... something the matter? Did you not expect me to call like we agreed?"

"That isn't it. I'm fine, I just...got...caught up in my work, that's all."His skeptical words tumbled out. Yami was keen to the partial lie and made a sound of disbelief. What Seto chose to leave out of his answer was that he had been expecting Yami to call the entire day, hence why he answered so quickly. Yami was about to question this, but he decided otherwise at the last second, "So, how has your progress been going?"

"Well enough in the conception department. I'll show you the results when I'm done."

"All right... What do you wish to talk about then, Seto?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?"

"Apparently, since it was you who wanted me to call you."

"Fine... Then, I'll start from the beginning. Why did you let me so close to you?"

The phone nearly slipped from Yami's fingers from the sudden question. Since Kaiba wasn't entirely specific, Yami dodged the inquiry, "What do you mean?"

"Don't pretend with me, Yami. If you're embarrassed, then just say so."

"What makes you so sure?"

"The fact that you've dodged my question twice."

"I-!" Yami trailed off. He couldn't deny that and sighed instead, "Must we really discuss this now? Over the phone?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's not face to face. I would much rather be speaking to you directly for such serious matters."

"For something you deem as serious, you sure are taking it lightly. And don't think you can trick me into inviting you over. I still don't want to see you until I'm finished with this project."

"Who said I was trying to trick you, Seto?"

"The blatant fact that you just told on yourself, Yami. Again. What kind of fool are you taking me for? I'm not those pathetic friends of yours and certainly not that mediocre commoner mutt. In any event, are you going to answer my question or not? Because if you don't, I can stop working on something we'll never use. Then, I'll have to come down there and when I do, I won't hold myself back from doing whatever I feel like doing with you."

"Do it, then," Were the words Yami wanted to speak, but instead, in their place, all that was uttered from him was a sound of annoyance.

"Oh, so you're thinking about it now, huh?" Seto jeered, "You are seriously disappointing me."

"Why do you think I let you?" Yami spoke up, the usual trademark regality resurfacing in his voice, "Do you think that I was luring you in as a trick? A game?"

"No. I don't. You didn't try that hard to stop me. I think you wanted me to make a move on you. "

"Perhaps I did."

"It was obvious. Don't try to act timid now. I know what you want and I'm going to give it to you."

Yami chortled softly at this remark. Its timber almost rather deplorable, "You can't give me a body of my own, Seto."

"Maybe not in the sense you're thinking about, but I'm going to give you something no one else will be able to."

"Seto..." Yami whispered softly. He wanted to believe his rival, he really did, but he couldn't help but feel guilty for imagining otherwise. As if Seto could sense Yami's hesitation through the phone, he snorted, "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes," Yami answered immediately.

"But?"

"But I simply... just seem to want what I cannot have, Seto. But that is fine. You and I will find a way to live our lives. That I do believe."

"You make it sound like we're parting our separate ways rather than trying to get in the other's pants."

"SETO!"

"I'm stating a fact," Seto suggested in a way that indicated he might have been shrugging, "Or were you somehow completely blind to the ways we felt last night?"

"Seto..." Yami warned, but they both knew it was half-hearted. So Seto resumed his argument.

"Unlike you, I don't want to continue to avoid a subject that deals with the well-being of the both of us. There is obviously something between us we both want to experience for ourselves. So stop running away from it and be honest with yourself. I shouldn't have to tell you this, Yami. Why are you so insecure?"

"Because I want you more than you will ever realize, Seto."

"That being?"

"I want to tear every fabric of clothing from your body and do things to you you never would have ever dreamed of."

The breathy sound of a genuine Kaiba smirk fluttered through the receiver,"Try me."

"I would much rather show you..."

"Then I'll hold you to that."

"Don't say I never cautioned you..."

"I won't say anything until I get proof. And on that note, I'm getting back to work."

Yami was quite relieved to hear that. He was anxious to see what concoction Seto was brewing for the both of them to utilize. And he also wanted to believe in Seto's words. He would believe. He did believe. But he couldn't help but feel those bothersome awkward feelings nip at him again."This... has been quite the odd conversation, Seto."

"Blame yourself for that one. Anyway, call me tomorrow. Whenever you get the time to."

"All right. Why the change?"

"Does it matter? Do I need to give you a reason for everything?"

"Maybe..."

"Hmph. Just call me tomorrow. Goodnight, Yami."

"Goodnight-" Yami trailed off mid sentence from hearing a click on the other line. Supposing Seto hung up, the lithe male sighed. But he still held the phone to his ear; secretly feeling like this was the best he could do to feel physically close to Kaiba right now. Unbeknownst to him, Seto did not hang up, but had placed the phone down atop his desk in such a way that would mimic the call being disconnected. He had paused all his work. His elbows were propped up atop the desk, his fingers knitted together in front of his mouth. Once the sonorous birth of Yami's words blossomed through the phone, Seto gingerly allowed his eyes to close. And intently, he listened to every word.

"...Goodnight, Seto. I would say pleasant dreams but you probably will not sleep... In any case, I acknowledge that I have been unfair to you and I apologize. The reason I could not be honest with you was because I am uncertain and afraid of the things I would want to do to you. I am afraid you will dismiss them and me. But these feelings I have towards you are making each choice I have to make more difficult than I imagined. I don't have much time here in this world, in this age. I will need to return to where I belong... However, there may be a chance that I belong instead with... this is foolish," Yami objected, drawing the phone away from his ear and tossing it on the couch. The rest of him soon followed suit. With a heavy sigh, he dragged his hands through his spiked locks and rested his elbows atop his knees, "I am speaking to no one. Kaiba will never know these things unless I tell him directly... … I must tell him... He deserves to know..."

"..." Seto listened; his eyes, now opened, fleeted back and forth, focusing on nothing but Yami's voice. His throat was dry. His emotions were wavering. Only Yami seemed to have this type of effect on him. Seto was attracted to Yami because of the way his only rival thrilled him, not only in battle but in everything he did. Only Yami could push him to new heights and because of that, he needed such an influence in his life. All this time, perhaps what was missing all along was Yami directly in front of him. Perhaps, all those times Yami was so close that Seto saw beyond him. His bouts of sexual frustration were the only ways he knew how to show Yami any semblance of affection. He needed Yami to be close. And he was going to make that happen.

Seto continued to observe in silence as the former ruler talked to himself, still unaware of Seto still being on the line. Seto was about to mute the phone and go back to working until specific words passed by Yami's lips that he did not expect to hear: "Seto, if you are listening somehow, I wish to know more about you. More than what I already know. I want to know about what can develop between us beyond the dueling, and beyond our prideful egos. Seto, as long as you're in front of me I know we can make that happen. I want to be more to you than I realize myself. I want... I just want...you... There, I've said it. And now... that I have been completely honest with myself, I can stop speaking to myself, return the little one to his bed... and wallow in not seeing you for a while."

Kaiba continued to listen until he heard the ruffle of movement from what Yami was sitting on, and his footsteps dimmed in the background. It was only then that he released the breath he didn't even know he had held captive. He shared in Yami's troubled emotions but wasn't sure of the best methods on how to show them. Gozaburo's unique, for lack of a better term, methods of teaching and priming Seto for the world of business and excellence stripped him of having much of a focus on his emotions. He had just accepted them as part of being human and not much of anything more. There were times he contradicted himself and showed those supposedly suppressed emotions to Mokuba without even thinking about it, but other than that he kept a firm harness on them.

But now, those unnamed emotions always seemed to conjure themselves when Yami was directly involved. And this time, Seto wasn't certain of how long he could keep them hidden away. His thoughts reeled back to a previous train of thought the day before yesterday. What was Yami to him? How did he fit into his life? There were scars and marks Seto always carried with him that he showed to no one. There was a particular one along his neck that reached his shoulder. The reason he buttoned up his turtleneck last night when Yami emerged was so he wouldn't catch any glimpse of them. Ironically enough, he was willing to risk them being seen by Yūgi, but when Yami emerged, he swiftly hid any hints of it. He did not want Yami to notice them. That is, not until Seto was ready to show them. And that time may be sooner than he would have thought possible. But dealing with what he was planning for the both of them to be able to freely touch, he wanted to start over, in a sense. In the candor of a new beginning, he had no scars.

OoO

The days passed happily for Yūgi and his friends. He was even happier when he saw that Yami was enjoying himself too. By the middle of the first week, Yami didn't utter a word to him about Kaiba; the majority of his attention remained on their friends and the times they spent together. And every night after Yūgi went to sleep, Yami would call Seto. The two of them never talked for very long, but in just the few minutes that they did, the bond between them strengthened tenfold. At the start of the second week, Yūgi and Anzu had a picnic and Yūgi ate so much of her food, that he had to take a nap to digest it all. Yami took that rare opportunity to call Seto and the CEO answered on the second ring.

"Great timing, " Seto announced quickly. His urgent response, had Yami blink a bit as he let the unfamiliar behavior settle in his head. "I.. er.. Hello to you too, Seto."

"Yeah. Hi. Whatever. I needed to ask you something."

Yami couldn't help but smirk at that all too acquainted remark,"Yes, what would that be?"

"Your favorite color. Go."

"...What?"

"What is your favorite color?"

"Uh... Black. But I also prefer gold and violet, as well as a little red. Why?"

"You can't just pick one? Whatever. I can use that. Call me back in one hour."

"A-all right... Seto, are you well?"

"I'm fine. Why. Do I sound crazy to you?"

"You always sound crazy to me, but now you sound more like a mad scientist on the verge of his greatest creation. I can count on my fingers the other times I've heard you sound so excited. Excited while not sounding monotone, at that."

"Oh, you mean like this..." Seto droned blandly.

"Yes. Exactly like that."

"Well, you're right about one thing. And now that I have the information I needed, call me back in one hour. Don't forget."

"But, Seto, Yūgi is..."

"Then put sleeping pills in his juice box, I don't care. I need you... to contact me no sooner and no later than that."

Yami held his breath as his lips trembled slightly. 'I need you'. Those words resonated throughout his spiky head and slithered down into his heart. Without thinking, he placed a hand over it as if he could tangibly clutch those syllables in his palm. Hearing those words made Yami want to do anything that would bring him closer to Seto; to touch him; to be with him. In short, Seto won. With a nod and a sigh, he obliged, "All right, Seto. I will return your call."

"Good. Bye."

Seto hung up quickly and returned all of his attention back to the invention before him. His creation was nearly completed. The heart of it was done and ready for extensive testing. He programmed the preferences Yami had just given him into a small device to be used later. After doing that, he tapped a few buttons along the core of his masterpiece to check its capabilities before placing it inside a more accessible mechanical shell. When its response was satisfactory, he decided it was time to analyze its visual qualities. So Seto named the first individual that came to mind for such a test. "8 x 10 image simulation. Subject: Ishizu."

At his command, the compact electrical device lit up and projected a floating hologram image of the elegant archeologist no larger than a sheet of copy paper. She appeared in her casual cream-colored smock; her caramel hands folded in front of her. Her sleek dark hair flowered over her shoulders and spilled down her back. Her turquoise eyes scrutinized Seto with the typical "I know something you don't" look she always wore when she looked his way.

"Good..." Seto uttered to himself, pleased with his work's progress thus far. It was no surprise what his project was. He was building a holographic device to later place inside of a pod-like container so that he and Yami could share their thoughts and touches through a sort of fictional reality. An oxymoron, but so far it was becoming quite feasible. Seto had programmed multiple personalities of those he and Yami had interacted with but so far, the only one that was fully tweaked to be tested was Ishizu's. Her personality was one of the more dynamic ones he knew of and if speaking with her crafted hologram was anything like talking to her in person, then all his hard work paid off. Seto wanted to see how accurate the responses would be. This was only one function of his plan. He main focus was to use the holograms in another more effective way. However, Seto would gauge her results against the persona he had programmed for Yami. If her testing went well, then Yami's should pass with flying colors.

Continuing with his testing, Kaiba crossed his arms and nodded to the hologram, "Name."

"My name is Ishizu Ishtar, Seto," the hologram replied; fluidly making gestures and movements that the real Ishizu would when addressing someone. Not bad. But Seto needed to make sure her program was near perfect to ensure that Yami's would be flawless. His eyes narrowed and he lowered himself to just above the desk; placing his fingertips atop it to hold his weight. He leaned in closer to inspect the miniature of the woman. Her gaze seamlessly locked onto, and followed his movements; her expression placid and nonchalant. Seto almost felt like he was being challenged. With a frown, he just stated the first thing off the top of his head.

"I don't believe in destiny."

"That is your prerogative, yet surprisingly, you seem to believe in magic."

"Technology. You're a hologram."

"Is a hologram not like that of magic?" she returned, a small triumphant smirk dashing her lips.

"No, it's just technology. Plain and simple."

"That is rather subjective, Seto."

Hearing this made Seto's jaw clench and his frown deepened. Acknowledging this, the hologram of the exotic woman laughed lightly, then turned her back to him, "I shall take my leave now. Good luck with the Pharaoh..." she commented, then turned to add, "...So you do believe what I said about his past and yours together...?" She wouldn't have said it if it wasn't programmed and since Seto was the culprit behind that...

"Terminate," Seto scowled, and at his command, the image of Ishizu fizzled away and nothingness took her place. Great. If her imagery came out that authentically, then Yami's had to be the same, if not better. Preparing for his greatest test, Seto took in a breath. His eyes shut as he released it. "8 x 10 image simulation. Subject: Yami..."

No sooner had the name left his lips did the regal form of the Pharaoh emerge. His body was accurately modeled and could be distinctly differed from Yūgi's. The bolts of lightning in his hair were perfect in their location like some sort of decorative art. His eyes were a shock of violet and ruby intermingled between long, kohl-laced lashes. His mouth was in a thin line, causing his overall expression to appear distant. And somewhat dispirited. Seto's eyes opened to this immaculate spectacle and his mouth nearly dropped open in a gape.

"Life-sized image simulation," Seto ordered hastily in one breath. With so much of a flicker, the hologram of Yami sextupled in size and stood right in front of Seto's desk. Fully drawn in with how his handiwork had turned out so far, Seto rose out of his chair and swerved around the desk to get a better look.

"Yami..." he breathed. Immediately, he gave orders for a copy of himself to be replicated at full size and to stand next to Yami. From this point on, Seto moved his duplicate with his thoughts and desires. His clone grasped Yami by the shoulders and brought him into a raw kiss. After his doppelganger withdrew, Yami did the same. His closed eyes fluttered open and his glossed eyes settled on the hologram. But he said nothing. All he did was stare. And observe. A little disappointed, Seto tried another approach and made his hologram cup Yami's chin in its palm. Yami's expression remained the same deadpan, expressionless void it began as; the only difference were the movement of his eyes. Those bright hues traveled up into the depths of the hologram's, then gradually, they trailed over to meet with Seto's. Kaiba's breath hitched in his throat from the lifeless expression on the hologram's face as it examined him. It didn't smile. It didn't crack a cocky smirk. It just stared at Seto as if it could do nothing else. There were hints of a few times Seto saw glints of an emotion or expression trying to be formed, but nothing new resulted from it.

Seto swore under his breath while he deduced the reason for the lack of expression in the replicated Yami. He had no idea how Yami would react in this type of situation, looking at him. He didn't know if Yami would truly smile, or if he would laugh; he didn't know what type of emotion would be shown. Because he didn't know, it couldn't be considered a variable in his programming, so all that occurred was what lay before him now. A blank stare. With a groan, Seto ran his hands through his hair and about-faced. "Terminate."

The image of himself dissipated instantly, but the one of Yami lingered a bit longer. It was as if he were attempting to challenge his own coding in order to get through to Seto. But because Seto's back was turned, he saw none of this. Faintly, the utterance of voice exposed itself in the shape of concern and apology, "Kaiba..."

Alarmed, the CEO spun around, but the hologram had faded away. Distraught and wrought with other emotions he didn't know yet how to describe, Seto continued to stare into space at the location the pseudo Yami once was. Another swear left him as he plopped down in his swivel chair and furiously returned to work. Seto labored for hours upon hours, with determination as his sole influence. He was so focused on perfecting Yami's hologram properties that he didn't even realize that the genuine article called him back until the morning's sunlight peeled through the windows behind him. Not only had he missed Yami's call earlier, but he missed his usual nightly call as well. A slew of curses left him, and he threw pieces of insignificant metals and items off his desk in his frustration. He needed a break.

OoO

The remainder of the week crawled by. Yami was hesitant to call Seto back that night as part of his routine calls, but he did so anyway. He didn't get an apology, but he did receive good news that Kaiba's plan had finally been finished. That night, he got a ride to, not the mansion, but a medium-sized 3 story house that lingered on the outskirts of Domino. The darkness of the night shielded and shrouded the house from any kind of decent observation so Yami couldn't tell exactly what kind of place it was, nor really where his exact location was. He only knew he had never seen it before.

On the way there, Seto had given Yami direct instructions to enter the house without caution and to ride the elevator to the top floor. Yami had his suspicions, namely about how an elevator could fit into such a modest-sized house, but the thought of being so close and being so near to Seto excited, and worried, him to no end. Once he reached the room, the door opened before him and the form of a wary Seto Kaiba darkened the doorway. The two of them stood motionless, gawking at the other. Both their bodies ached with the need to be touched and to be swept into the other's embrace.

Then, in the pounding of a melting instant, the two of them collided. Frantic arms draped over their frames and pulled the other close. Their foreheads bumped together and their mouths opened. No kisses were stolen, as difficult as that was not to do, but their lips brushed and their pants intermingled.

"It's been too long, Seto..." Yami mewled; his desperation to be touched and kissed making him sound sultry beyond anything Seto had ever heard. "...Too long..." Seto agreed in echo. His hands roamed Yami's body upon raw instinct; eager to take what he deemed as his. And Yami was currently willing to allow him to do so. But at the last second, their senses were regained and they forced themselves to withdraw from the tempt of the other. But even with that, they still remained connected by both their hands, entwined. "This way," Seto led, breaking the bond one of his hands shared with one of Yami's in order to guide him in the direction of a long hallway. Before long, they reached a room with a single door. There was a keypad there, similar to the one next to Seto's bedroom back at the mansion.

Yami eyed the contraption in speculation, then glanced to Kaiba. "Seto? Where are you taking me?"

"Wherever I please," he replied a little too hungrily; the double entendre certainly did not go unnoticed. But neither of them thought it necessary to draw that into a conversation, for very good, and soon to be useless, reason. Without a word, raised his fingers to the keypad. "Remember this code, whenever you want to enter this room," Seto stated; his tone jittery. The eagerness in his voice made him sound nervous, but he was far from it. He punched in the code at a simple pace easy enough for someone like Yami to learn it quickly. "かいやみ" The kana instantly corrected itself into the kanji of: "海闇 (Dark Sea)"

Yami gave Seto a look that read "that was easy enough to remember", to which Seto answered with a snort, then opened the door. Seto wasted no time getting the two of them settled into the pods. What they looked like didn't matter, the room was so dark to Yami, that he was amazed that Seto could maneuver so well in it. But he did take note of the large horizontal device being very close to the other. Soon, the two of them were situated and within seconds, they were propelled into a world of their own creation.

OoO

I'm so evil... Jolly, I know I mentioned that I might break this chapter in twos, but I decided against it. So you know what that means for the next chapter...!

Also, to clarify any confusion, one function of the VR pods is so Seto can imagine Yami whenever he isn't around, which is why he needed the personality data. The second function is to be used when both subjects are connected to the pods so they can "think up" what they want their holographic selves to act out...like how the pods were used in the Noa story arc. The characters could do things they normally could do, thinking their bodies were really in another place but it was all VR.

And now the ooc sum up

ooc!

Mokuba: My girlfriend is Rebecca? The computer whiz? DO I even KNOW anything about computers?

Yūgi: *babbles happily about Anzu and his friends*

Yami: Talking on the phone with you is fun.

Seto: Nice...

Yami: I rather enjoy this!

Seto: Whoopee...

Yami: Why am I so emotional around you?

Seto: Who cares. My plan is ready now.

Yami: Yay! No more pretend kisses! We! Are! V! R!

Seto: I hated that show...

ooc!

-Mel


	4. Something New

**_A/N: Guess what time it is!_**

**_A/N: I think something very silly happens in this chapter_**

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 4

OoO

"Ugghnn..." Yami's tired voice murmured unevenly. His crescent lashes quivered beneath his closed lids as he was too drained to lift them. His entire body felt heavy as if he had somehow been submerged leagues beneath the sea onto a bed of algae. His chest ascended and fell slowly in time with his slow, deep breaths. While he didn't get dragged into the depths of the sea, he was laying atop a bed. In an undiscovered room of the house, Yami laid on his back upon the expensive sheets of a certain CEO. His arms flatly on either side of his head and his legs spread at a 45 degree angle. The weight of his tired body felt like a boulder atop the soothing nest of silk. His brows scrunched together in slight discomfort from how numb his limbs were as he tried to move them. As he did, the vivid imagery of what activities transpired earlier that night played back into his mind in a hazed blur.

He and Seto wasted no time unraveling the other when the virtual program was initiated. Yami remembered being grabbed by the shoulders and forced into a rough and frantic kiss. Without any thought, he had returned the same. After their first, uninterrupted, kiss, they took a moment to study the expression of the other. Yami could clearly recall the shrouded look forming in Seto's glacial hues. But it wasn't that he wanted to hide behind that emotion, but it did show his frustration. The frustration of having so many emotions that he could boil down two one or two words and he wasn't even completely certain of what they were. All he wanted was what he claimed as his. And while Yami had slight protest to not being just an object for one to own, he accepted Seto as something of similar meaning. And he proved that with a gentle kiss. That expression alone was a contrast to their feverish desperation just moments before, but it also returned and heightened its thrill.

Throughout their needy and sensual cravings and unbridled lust there was a great deal of touching, groping, clawing as well as heated demanding kisses tipped with tongue. Yami's thoughts had manipulated his virtual body to act on instinct and need alone and in no time at all, he and Seto were enveloped in unity. Yami remembered Seto claiming dominance over him, panting and grunting like a wild beast. His hair swiftly became mussed and matted from sweat; his sharp eyes peering down at his prey. Yami had found himself shouting, mewling and growling Seto's name in different pitches as well as languages as pleasure, satisfaction and release took him again and again. He vaguely remembered the roles being reversed, however he was able to recollect a unique sound he never thought he'd ever hear form from Seto as he climaxed by Yami's doing. Then after that, his memories of their first night together faded into fragments of colors and empty flashes of white.

Yami expelled a broken breath from the remembrance of this symbolic milestone. He couldn't deny he felt relieved to able to do as he wished and without betraying Yūgi in the process. However, he hoped the other didn't tap into his thoughts at this moment and end up with a whopping of embarrassment and terror that would haunt him for the rest of his little life. A hint of a smirk touched Yami's lips at this, then it soon dissipated. Regardless, he needed to move and he needed to sit up. Gradually, the former ruler's lids lifted to reveal the glimmering amaranth that slumbered beneath. His surroundings were taken in through dizzied and fuzzy vision and his location seemed very unfamiliar to anything he's ever seen. At the same time, there was a familiarity about the patterns about the walls and neatness of the room that reminded him of a certain blue-eyed individual.

Steadily, with accompanying expressions and grimaces, he forced his exhausted body to sit up. Upon doing so, a damp cloth of some sort fell from his forehead and into his lap. He cautiously scooped up the item and examined it. It was an ordinary washcloth—at first glance. Yami made a quaint face. Dealing with anything related to someone as hi-tech as Seto, seeing something so common in a dwelling of his made the item seem almost prehistoric and sorely out of place. Although it would be counter-productive, Yami imagined Seto instead having washcloths made out of baldachin. Its absence on his skin made Yami realize just how heated, and sweaty, his body actually was. Yami felt a warmth spread over his face from this. His body seemed gratefully pleased for his little romp with Kaiba more than he was aware of.

"Finally. Took you long enough to come around," an arrogant and haughty voice drawled. Expectant of Seto's presence, Yami darted his head to the right, towards the room's doorway. There the lord and master of the house, Seto Kaiba, stood. He leaned against the doorway on his shoulder with his arms folded over his chest. Snug fitting charmeuse ivory clung to his neck and broad chest; accenting every curve and crevice. His legs were wrapped in matching black that gave them the illusion of being wrapped chocolate of the finest quality from how expensive and shiny it looked about his body. His feet were hidden within an even darker obsidian that resembled comfortable loafers of some sort. Yami guessed they were Seto-house-slippers. His hair was gently tussled and his face showed hints of labored exhaustion in the form of a faint cherry tint about his cheeks.

"Seto!" Yami exclaimed, clutching the cloth in his hands. Despite the awkward emotions he was feeling, he couldn't stop himself from giving a compliment where it was due, "That fabric looks divine."

Seto raised a delicious eyebrow, but kept a straight face,"Hmm? It is. But I don't think silk would look very good on you, no offense. Leather suits you more."

"Really..." Yami didn't take the words as offensive, just interesting. He glanced down at the tight muscle shirt and taut blue pants that Yūgi usually wore. Maybe he should consider expanding the little one's wardrobe? He closed his eyes on the thought and how frivolous it seemed at a time like this. The reality of the situation was that he and Seto had finally copulated and now they faced the other afterwards. How would things continue between them? Would it still remain as frantic and anxious as it had been? Or would their new-found emotions become stagnant and hushed until time erased its potency and everything that happened between them was best forgotten?

The complexity of such thoughts caused Yami to gain an expression at that moment that words would fail explaining. Disturbed by the sudden odd reaction, all the smugness drained from Seto's face and a thin lipped frown took its place. He appeared aghast for only a flicker of a second. Then almost seamlessly, he eased back into his usual nonchalant demeanor. "Like I said, you're finally awake. You basically passed out afterwards and I was met with the decision to leave you there or to give you a bed to lay in. In short, I had to carry you in here."

"You... carried me?"

"And you were burning up. So I cooled you down with a cloth and some cold water," his eyes narrowed as he said this and he lifted his head, causing his downy bangs to mask one of his eyes. Yami felt himself swallow hard from the motion. It was a simple one that he had seen happen with Kaiba frequently, but now for some reason, its allurement had intensified. He could feel his body starting to warm up again.

"But it looks like the cold water didn't help very much. You still look like you're sweating."

"Oh..." Yami trailed off. Glancing down at the cloth, he folded it nicely into a tidy square and placed it to the left of him on the bed, "I apologize for being a burden..." he continued. He gave Seto a bold look that concealed the actual nervousness he was feeling right now. He wanted to turn away out of embarrassment. He and Seto were as open as one could be with the other right no, considering their previous actions, and it made him jittery. The fact that it occurred so quickly added to his uncertainty of what to really say or do. But the more he observed his mate, the more relaxed he grew. This resolution was directly shared and accepted by Seto through their eyes alone. Yami shared a bond with him like he did with no other, and of course, Seto knew this. He made sure of it.

A sly grin ventured across Seto's lips, then lessened to a trademark smirk, "That's better. It'd be pointless for you to start complaining now..."

Yami gained a challenging smirk of his own without realizing, "What? What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean..." Seto uttered lowly, pronouncing each word with tantalizing emphasis. He pushed himself away from the doorway to join Yami on the bed. Having Seto so close to him again made Yami's heart flutter and his stomach set ablaze with confined emotions. His opponent knew of all the cards in his hand, but Yami could bluff in such a way that would make a believer out of anyone. Namely, 'him'. But the impassioned look in Seto's eyes had swiftly dimmed to one of seriousness of a different sort. Quietly, Yami understood and studied him with analytical eyes. "Seto..." The name was a hush, but was still heard.

"Don't make me say it."

"Seto?"

"Hmph... Is my name still all you can say?"

"SETO!" Yami retaliated incredulously, his eyes wide and vibrant with embarrassment.

"I guess it is...And, I meant what I said to you in there..."

"Funny, I don't recall you saying much of anything..." Yami jeered with an air of sarcasm.

"And why is that?"

"I could barely hear anything over my...how... loud I... was..."

"Hmm I was that good, was I?"

"Who can say? We were both only holograms after all. You could have emphasized things that do not exist in this reality," Yami addressed with a taunting smirk. Seto eyed him blankly, then snorted, "Sounds like someone is asking for more proof..." Seto uttered, hardly moving his lips. His smalt eyes swam with interest and acute scrutiny. It was as if he was picking everything about Yami that made him unique apart only to reassemble his discoveries to prove only he understood him in this way. Nearing closer to his succulent specimen, Seto snaked his hand beneath Yami's chin, cupping it. The former ruler frowned at this behavior and jerked slightly; the action proving his dislike of the gesture more than being an attempt to get out of it. Seto studied this closely. He didn't do it for more research for his projects and little toys, this time. This moment was one of genuine interest and desire. With a feather's tactility, he brought his face closer to Yami's. The exotic male tensed and shut his eyes in poor defense and retaliation. His mind was shouting no while his body did not make a move to push Seto away.

But instead of meeting his mouth to Yami's, Seto moved his lips to the side of his face, just below his ear. "I want you... to come with me..." he beckoned, fully aware of the chills and tingles he was scattering throughout Yami's body. The Pharaoh remained still in his placement as he allowed those words to simmer. His warm eyes drifted over to Seto in silent measure. Then, he finally moved. Yami reached diagonally to his right to snag a silky handful of Seto's shirt. In one move, he faced his other and pulled him close. The tips of their noses kissed for a brief second until Yami drew in a breath that ebbed the contact just a tad. "And just where will you be taking me, Seto?" he challenged; the timbre of his deep smooth tones emulating a daring shape, "Haven't you had enough?"

"No," Seto answered simply; his narrowed eyes teeming with concupiscence. He grasped a tuft of Yami's wild locks and pulled on them downwards until Yami leaned backwards. Before long, he was laying on his back and Seto was on top of him. The two of them still held to the other in their own ways; Yami at Seto's shirt, and he in Yami's hair. Neither of them had any plans of letting go. Just yet. Coolly, Seto bent down and hovered his mouth above Yami's, "I can't just have enough. You're too distracting for me to ignore..."

"Oh really? I believe you have just given me a compliment..."

"Whatever. Take it as you like."

"And what if I am 'too distracting' as you put it? What will you do, Seto? Fix the problem or continue to be enraptured by it?"

"Why are you always so dramatic?"

"I don't understand what you mean..." Yami smirked, speaking in the cover of deceptive ignorance.

"..." Seto returned the expression; his features darkening sensuously by the second. The very moment Seto knew that Yami was going to question his behavior, Seto thrust his hips towards Yami's, tearing an unexpected gasp from him. Without warning, Yami's narrow hips rose to meet Seto's and he closed his eyes in pleasure. Wordlessly, Seto matched Yami's movements, wondering when he was going to realize exactly what he was doing to the runt's body. And sure enough, as if his thoughts were heard, Yami's eyes shot open and he pushed away from Seto. Well, he tried to, but he wasn't able to wriggle far when Seto grabbed him around the waist, pinning him to the bed once more. Instead of tempting him physically, Seto went for a psychological approach. His mouth dipped down to Yami's forehead; lingering just above the skin, "Where were you going, Yami?"

"Seto..." Yami whispered, then regained his fiery tongue, "Whatever you're planning will fail."

"Uh huh..." Seto ignored him and led his lips over Yami's nose.

"I mean it...!"

"Sure..." He continued, drawing his mouth to just above Yami's neck. Despite himself, the shorter male expelled a gasp and shut his eyes to enhance the fluttery sensation. But his voice remained level, "Do I need to make myself clear?"

"Please do."

"Very well. You will not like this very much," Yami smirked. Stealthily, he began to move his legs beneath Seto. His knees brushed between Seto's thighs multiple times, causing the him to make a sound, "Stop that... Unless you plan on doing something about it."

"Actually, I do."

"What"

"This," Yami smiled, giving Seto a sudden knee right to the groin. As Seto winced and doubled over, Yami scrambled free and jumped off the bed. He rolled onto the floor to cover him losing his balance. But he got right back up again and ran out of the room; a hearty laugh echoing in his wake. He knew Seto would make chase after him. He didn't kick him very hard, just enough to free himself. Curious, he paused in his aimless running and turned around just in time to see a disheveled Seto slide across the floor from the room and bump against the wall to the hallway they were both now in. A devilish and sensually unforgiving look covered his face; making his features solidify with each deep panting breath he took. The air between them became very still and alert. Whoever made the first move was going to get it.

As bad luck would have it, Yami could feel a sneeze tickling in his nose and he clenched his teeth to try to force the annoying sensation dissipate on its own. But it didn't, and he sneezed. The second he did, the floors vibrated with the rapid footsteps of Seto and he was not stopping. Swearing, Yami playfully took off down the hall. He turned corners sharply, almost falling over, but he kept running. Soon, he reached a dead end at the locked door that lead to the pods. Yami looked over his shoulder frantically for Kaiba at random while he threw his hand over the electronic keypad next to the door and mashed in a series of letters and numbers he wasn't even really looking at. He got many an error, before actually choosing to look at what he was doing.

The moment he punched in the last kanji, he felt strong arms grasp him by the shoulders and spin him around. Seto slammed Yami against the door and kept him held there. His eyes teemed with a hunger only the male in front of him could quell as well as ignite. Yami chuckled triumphantly at the raw visage Seto was displaying before him. Without warning, Seto leaned forward. Expecting his mouth to be ravaged , Yami lifted a hand horizontally between their mouths so Seto would kiss his palm instead of his, Yūgi's, lips. His other hand fumbled around behind him for the door's handle while Seto pressed his body against Yami's needfully. The force from the momentum of his desire sent both of them literally falling into the room. Needless to say, another trip to quench their virtual cravings transpired, with an intensity that would rival the last.

OoO

Later that afternoon, Yami entered the game shop with a hum on his lips and a pep in his step. He turned on the lights, locked the front door, and headed upstairs to the bathroom. He took a hot, satisfying shower, did his hair, then went into his and Yūgi's room. He made Yūgi's bed, cleaned up a few stray articles of clothing and nicknacks laying about, and even vacuumed the carpet. Once that was to his liking, the ecstatic former Pharaoh glided down the steps two at a time without faltering in the slightest and headed into the kitchen. There, he tidied up a bit, threw together a simple meal that he knew Yūgi loved and poured a tall glass of juice for him. The thought of Kaiba's words to him the other day about slipping some sleeping pills into Yūgi's juice wavered into his mind and he smiled faintly. He couldn't believe how remarkable he felt. He felt completely natural after finally being able to express himself in the ways he wanted to freely. But even freedom had its limits. An oxymoron, but a lovely mood lifter.

As Yami stood back to inspect his handiwork, the transparent image of Yūgi materialized beside him. The petite youth rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and yawned, "Morning...or Afternoon, Pharaoh. Um, Pharaoh what's going on?" he questioned, taking in the sight of the cleaned kitchen and the hot meal that rested upon the meager kitchen table. Thinking his eyes deceived him, he rubbed them with both hands and shook his head; his wild hair responding with faint movements, "Wh-what... Did you do all this?"

"Yes, I did," Yami replied promptly with a nod and appeased smile, "Do you like it? I made you brunch."

"That's for me?" Yugi pointed, with wide innocent eyes. Yami laughed sonorously at this, then his warm eyes returned to Yūgi. Mirth and a deep beautiful emotion twinkled in those jewels of amaranth and he nodded again, "Yes, it most certainly is. I made your favorite, so please enjoy," Yami offered, seamlessly switching physical places with his younger counterpart.

"Wow!" Yūgi enthused, eagerly scanning the food, deciding which part of it to consume first, "You really mean it? Why?" he asked curiously, attempting to stifle another yawn, "Is there... some kind of special occasion I missed? It's not my birthday yet already is it? Because I promised Anzu that I'd-"

"Haha, no Little One, it is not your birthday. Nor is it a special occasion. I'm just... feeling particularly energetic today."

"And I'm particularly exhausted for some reason," Yūgi replied, borrowing the same word usage as his elder. He yawned for the 3rd time within the same 5 minutes and covered his mouth, "Man... my body feels like it weighs a ton! Or two! Were you out all night dueling or dancing or something, Pharaoh?"

"Yūgi, you know I don't dance," he casually answered. The suspicion of what he was doing, or rather who, the other night crept up Yami's spine as a guilty chill and he wore a very good mask of deception towards it. Yūgi seemingly didn't think anything of it. Yami felt bad, technically lying to Yūgi like this, but he deserved his own private life. He and Yūgi didn't do everything together, and some things were just better left unspoken. Allegedly. For someone who was quick to pinpoint and disperse one's deception at its root, when the one at fault was him,Yami was quickly becoming a hypocrite. But if Yūgi were to ask, he would tell. Casually, he continued his display, "I have two left feet worse than you do. But I apologize for wearing your body out. I had a lot on my mind the other night."

"Oh..." Yūgi trailed off. The uncertainty in his tone made it clear that he was unsure to leave the subject alone or ask what the Pharaoh's thoughts contained. Yami could blatantly read this, but he kept his expression placid. Yūgi pressed his lips together in apprehension, but at the last second, anything he would have said dissolved on his tongue and he said nothing. Instead, he went to the table and sat down. Yami watched him warily as if to prepare himself to receive an outburst of personal inquiries, yet resumed their conversation,"Yes. But, please do not worry about it too much. Enjoy your meal and rest."

"You're right. Thanks, Pharaoh!" Yūgi chirped, smiling sweetly up at the other. Accepting the pleasant response, Yami smiled back, then allowed his image to fade. Once he was no longer in Yūgi's line of vision, the short male turned his attention to his food. He was both still and silent. Spirals of questions and speculations ran through his mind, but none of them seemed like a conclusive match to anything Yami had told him. But nonetheless, he still had a strong belief of trust towards the Pharaoh. Even if he was being lied to, he would still see the Pharaoh like his best friend and older brother. He cared for him greatly, but Yūgi just wished he would be more honest with him. Idly, his eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall. In the next hour, he was supposed to meet with his friends and spend the rest of the day with them. Perhaps that was what was making him so tired and had nothing to do with the Pharaoh after all?

"What am I doing..." Yūgi smiled weakly, while thinking out loud, "I shouldn't accuse him like that. I'm probably just having too much fun and not realizing how tired it makes me. Yeah! That has to be it. And the wet weather doesn't help either! Sorry, Pharaoh!" Yūgi surmised, and cheerfully began to enjoy his meal. Only, deep down, he felt that something was amiss but he turned an ignorant blind eye towards it. For now.

OoO

"AHH! _AYWAH_, SETO!" Yami moaned wantonly. He dug his nails into the fine grain of a cherry-wood table, barely missing the assortment of dinner plates atop it while his body was forced against it. A deep ragged breath tore from Seto; his nude body rich with dewy sweat and muscles taut and rippling as he delved roughly into Yami from behind. Their carnal sounds of raw, untamed sex was a powerful crescendo of desperate passion that the world could have heard. And the world would have heard, if they were not playing out their wants in virtual reality. For some bizarre reason, Seto conjured the setting of the two of them at a long dinner table decorated with the finest china and the very best in French cuisine. And in addition to all of that, he wanted to take Yami against the table. And eventually...

A throaty gasp was breathed from Yami as Seto picked him up and threw him back first onto the table. The china clattered and settled back into place the second right before Seto swung his arm into several pieces. The defenseless items flew to the floor with symphonic tinks and clinks as they broke into a million pieces. With a grunt, Seto reentered himself into Yami at this new position and slammed his hands down atop the table on either side of him. A flick of his wrist was all it took to slide more of the dishes and goblets to their imminent, and melodic, doom. Food, wine, and the containers that held them were all sent to the floor. And there was a hint of satisfaction glinting in Seto's eyes that implied he had always wanted to do that.

"Ahh!" the exotic male moaned strongly. His blonde locks swept over his moistened face in separated strands drenched in sweat. His face was dusted with a light tint of red while he indulged in the euphoria Seto was delivering to him. They had been at this for hours, he wasn't sure how long. He had lost track of the time. Nothing else had mattered but the two of them and this creation. With a roar, Seto reached his climax; his release thunderous and contagious as the male before him achieved the same. As the sensual high faded, Seto gave small short bursts of thrusts before removing himself. As he did, the surrounding simulation dissipated. However, this particular version of Yami was to also fade, but did not. Its 'master's' strong thoughts of the real Yami were too great and resulted in him remaining. In essence, such "behaviors" were a glitch.

Silently, he watched Seto don a new outfit of an dark hue. The hologram's eyes contracted in calculation. When its genuine article was not present, Seto would call upon this lifelike replica to suit his desires, as well as do more research to tweak this Yami to be flawless. Seto wanted everything he did to feel as realistic as possible to Yami. This Yami was aware that it only existed as a virtual 'shell' for the real one's consciousness so it would have form.

"Yami," Seto demanded, wanting to initiate a new simulation without bothering to turn around. He wasn't aware of the intent eyes that were watching him; awaiting his next command. In a nature true to the real former ruler, the lithe replica lifted his chin proudly with a smirk on his lips, "Over here, Kaiba"

Seto whipped around; his features carrying alert and unexpectedness. That hologram was still there after the rest of a program ended? Then he half-frowned, "That's another kink in your programming I have to work out," he stated flatly. With a predatory air about him, Seto glided over to the other, "You stick around when a program is terminated and you still call me by that name."

"I only do what is thought of by you or the one you based me from when he is not present."

"Don't talk back to me. I don't want any mistakes and I can't have you gaining a mind of your own."

The hologram blinked as if it had taken the statement as a hidden possibility and probable desire. "Is that something you want?"

In place of an immediate verbal answer, Seto brought a hand to the top of his pants. Red-violet orbs watched with an unnamed emotion as the tips of 2 or Seto's fingers claimed the zipper of his pants and drew it downward. A waver of Seto's thoughts brushed over the replica and it eagerly sank to its knees.

"This is what I want from you," Seto uttered plainly. He started to reach into his fly when one of Yami's hands beat him to it. His slender fingers curled around the prize he sought, and he immediately rubbed his thumb firmly against the length of the underside. Seto hissed briefly, and kept his eyes on the male beneath him.

Within seconds, his erection was engulfed by Yami's welcoming mouth and suckled upon desperately. Seto almost climaxed right then and there, but somehow managed to suppress the urge. His length was attacked in its entirety. His sac was fondled, licked, bitten and drawn into that hot mouth. Seto clenched his fists and leaned his head back. For a fleeting moment, a delectable thought ran through his head. Suppose the real Yami entered during this little game of his and joined in? A beat passed and Seto found himself in a shuddering breath that caused his body to shake from an enhance in sensation. Once he caught his breath, he lowered his head and gaped from witnessing another Yami on his knees. He didn't actually think that would work, but he certainly wasn't complaining now. He was intrigued to how far this could go. A sensual growl settled in his throat from the sight of the two Yamis on either side of his length, licking, nibbling and stroking. The initial one gazed up at him with its sharp amaranth eyes, while the other glanced to him with orbs of clover. Seto clenched his teeth from the view and shut his eyes. If Yami did somehow walk in now and find him like this to copies of him, he would probably uncomfortable about it. But he wasn't there. He wasn't there to scold and he certainly wasn't there to watch. Or was he?

Naturally, Seto couldn't resist the thought of another. And as he willed it, in addition to other two's ministrations, he felt soft long laps at the base of his sac. Seto's body jerked forward as a sound escaped him and he forced his eyes to open. There now were 3 different Yamis knelt before him. Their tongues and hands worshiped his flesh as if it were their own sexual god. Flashes of green and red-violet looked his way to give him separate trademark looks that Yami would always give; those sly 'I have you, and there is nothing you can do' looks. The newest addition flicked its sky blue eyes to Seto;giving a lusty look while lapping at his tightening flesh that sent Seto over the edge.

With a raspy yell, Seto grasped the bobbing heads closest to his hands and gripped harshly at their wild tufts of hair. His body convulsed and a bursts of creamy white shot from him, showering the 3 of them in its hot essence. Amaranth and clover witnessed the display with misty, sultry eyes and their mouths quickly went to work consuming it. The remaining other received the majority of the ivory offering; a glob of it splotched across one of its closed eyes and bits of it clinging to those thick locks. Seto panted heavily as he tried to regain his senses. But when he saw the three of them sharing his seed through deep tepid kisses laced with tongue and moans, he lost it.

OoO

With a deep wheezing gasp, Seto threw a hand over his heart and fumbled for the pod's release button with the other. In a frenzied mess, he staggered out of the contraption and had to stop himself from tumbling to the floor. With a disoriented growl, he brought a hand to his dizzied head and shook it; stray threads of mahogany whipping over his eyes. He swore under his breath and forced himself to stand upright. This was a lesson to him. He could probably handle two Yamis but a 3rd was too much.

"Having fun?" a familiar regal voice announced from nearby. "Oh great..." Seto groaned, turning slowly. Atop the pod he usually went in, Yami sat perched atop with his legs and arms crossed. A hint of challenge fluctuated behind his eyes and a faint curve was at his lips. But Seto was much too tired to be able to decipher what hidden secrets that curve entailed. The main thing on his mind now was to grab a shower first, then deal with Yami right after. And his rival picked up on this easily, "Oh no. You are not leaving yet. Not until you inform me of what you were doing."

Seto frowned. The scolding cometh.

"What does it look like? You weren't here," he shot back hotly.

"And you pretended that I was?"

"And so what if I did?"

"Hmm..." Yami hummed thoughtfully and slid off his perch. He sauntered over to Seto, ignoring the frigid glares he was receiving, and grabbed him by the collar. He stood on his tippy-toes and pulled Seto down to meet his lips to his ear, "Was I satisfying to you? Satisfying enough for you to choose a hologram over me in person?"

"Shut up, it's not even like that," Seto defended, pushing Yami slightly away from him. His lie was only half true, but it was still a lie. But since Seto was already caught red-handed, there was no reason to pretend otherwise, "Now you know what I do when you're not here. I want to make sure your program has as little mistakes and kinks as possible. I don't want you missing anything I can give you."

"Oh? Tooting your own horn now, are you?"

"Didn't know such a crime"

"It's not, unless your ego is the size of planets."

"Then sentence me life. In any case, I am going to walk by you and I am going to take a shower. Do what you want until I get back," Seto worded flatly, brushing by Yami and passing through the doorway. Then, he stopped. Hesitantly he turned, gazing awkwardly to Yami over his shoulder. He parted his lips to say something, but decided against it at the last second, and simply closed the door instead.

When Seto returned, his keen eyes darted directly to the place where Yami stood. The former ruler didn't appear to have moved very far from the middle of the room and greeted Seto with a placid expression. His eyes drifted up briefly to the towel loosely hanging from atop Seto's head. Uncomfortable with the gaze, Seto led his eyes elsewhere and attempted to make conversation.

"So... how was your day?"

"My day? Do you honestly want to know the answer to that or is this another question for your project?"

"... Or don't tell me..." Seto drawled, pulling the towel off and folding it.

"It was fine, Seto. Pleasant even."

"That's nice."

Yami chuckled. Although Seto's words were bland and devoid of emotion, Yami could tell that his rival was actually doing his best to break the ice with something he knew Yami would be comfortable with. Although Seto seemed cold to others, Yami, as well as Mokuba, knew that he wasn't as frigid as he tried to seem. And now, it was almost as if he were offering a type of awkward emotion that only Yami would understand and only Yami could make the volition to accept or deny it. The answer seemed obvious. "What did you do all of today?" Yami questioned tranquilly, then his eyes trailed over to the open hatch of the pod Seto had occupied earlier and his features took on a sly look, "Or perhaps I already know?"

"You don't. So don't bother to claim otherwise," he concluded, setting the fabric down atop an end table.

"I see," Yami smiled faintly, "Well in any case, thanks for asking."

"...You're welcome."

Silence.

"I was thinking about you a lot today," Seto confessed out of the blue, and catching Yami off guard. He winced with awe and interest, "Well, I certainly didn't expect to hear that..."

"I can't get you out of my head. It's annoying. You just won't go away," Seto murmured as if he were thinking aloud rather than directing his strange words to the very subject they consisted of.

"... Seto...?"

"...I can't stop thinking abut you... It never stops..."

"Seto, what are you trying to say?"

"... … Forget it. I'm too tired to even comprehend what I'm saying," he seethed, and turned on his heels. Yami watched as he left the room and disappeared down the hall. Yami continued to listen to Seto's retreating footsteps until they no longer echoed in the corridors. He knew exactly where Seto had gone. That same bedroom he woke up in last night.

By the time Yami reached the room, the lights were dimmed and Seto lay on his back with his arms folded over his chest. His crystalline eyes gazed over at Yami, taking in his form, then returned to stare into nothingness. Guilty, Yami padded over to the bed. "May I lay here?" he asked, gaining no answer. Taking the silence as a yes, Yami removed his boots and climbed into the bed. He laid next to Seto with his hands folded over his abdomen. Nothing was shared between the two of them for nearly an entire minute. The only sounds were their steady breathing that somehow fell into sync. Yami was the first to attempt to break the silence.

"Tomorrow, I would like for us to spend more time together; to further know the other better."

"Hmph."

"If that is all right with you, of course."

"Whatever."

"Of course. Well, goodnight, Seto. Pleasant dreams, or do you even need me to say that?"

Wordlessly, Seto's eyes narrowed and he tossed a glare Yami's way before turning on his side; his back towards Yami. A little offended by this, Yami frowned and shut his eyes.

Half an hour passed. Once Seto was certain that Yami was asleep, he turned to face him. His eyes trailed through his hair, tickled over his regal features and rested upon his hands. He eyed them earnestly like they were keys of something precious that he wanted to claim, but had been forbidden to do so. But his body had other plans. Cautiously, one of his hands reached out and rested upon Yami's. Seconds passed before he worked up the intent to clutch it gently. Seto never told Yami, but he was grateful for his appearance and desire to be at his side as much as he could. He really appreciated that. He was amused to know that there was one who could understand him and see straight through him like Yami could. He was satisfied with being able to share more of himself that he could not to Mokuba. Dare it be said that he even loved it. A light smirk touched his lips as a sarcastic thought came to mind but he dismissed it. Silently, he rested on his back again and closed his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. Unknown to him, Yami's lips had mirrored the same amusement.

OoO

Okay, so I wanted there to be more to this chapter, but it's good I ended it here.

**Ooc!**

Seto: I'm a genius

Yami: Smexing tiiime!

Seto: With holograms... kinky...

Yami: You sure enjoyed yourself

Seto: Three Yamis. Nice

Yūgi: I was in this chapter? Oh yeah. I was insignificant again!

**Ooc!**

-Mel


	5. You Will

_**A/N: There is much talking and angst in this chapter... Guhhh**_

**Beyond His Body**

Chapter 5

OoO

The eve of morning sprinkled its evanescent pastel hues over the horizon beyond its ascent. A muted warmth of its glow outlined the reflective windows of Seto's seclusive house. A wispy touch of the transient light that did managed to filter through tugged at the edges of the bedsheets and drew its fingers over the couple resting atop them. The rivaling duo still laid side by side on the bed; Seto remained on his back while Yami had shifted slightly. His subdued features were turned in Seto's direction, while one arm rested above his head on the pillows. It could be argued if he actually slept, or was asleep or not. Despite him not needing it, Yūgi's body did. Seto, however, was not one to gain much of any sleep in any sense of the word. The stoic CEO stared blankly at the ceiling. The strained luminescence of the sunrise through the windows dappled in his azure gaze, and revealed a concealed intensity they secretly held. His mind was full of thoughts of his rival that lingered without cease like vengeful and jeering apparitions. The fact that the source of his unsettled thoughts was laying next to him only thickened matters and offered him no solutions.

It wasn't a surprise that Seto didn't get much of any sleep and was even less of a shock that his mind teemed with thoughts of the proud male next to him. He hardly ever slept anyway; his mind was always busy in constant calculating motions. The equation that linked to the source of his troubled collection of discernments equaled to Yami, with recent events as the inner values. The ordeal that occurred the night before still wavered in his mind, but that didn't contribute to the core of his uneasiness. And as a result, his mind had become littered with overlapping unanswered questions and possibilities that he could not solve. And Seto blamed Yami for them.

The two of them met under odd circumstances yet were able to grow and learn from the other throughout their experiences together. Even Seto was surprised from how quickly he found himself wanting to learn more; to become more; to be an irreplaceable core of Yami's life with a yearning that was unanimously labeled as obsession. But to him, that was only part of it. There was more, so much more he kept locked away that he felt towards Yami; physical and sensual attraction aside. Those artifacts only developed later on after his respect for the other male fully flourished to Seto's own liking and acceptance. No one else gave him the thrills that Yami did; no one else made him feel so accomplished while at the same time feel so defeated. And that excited him. He hated to lose, especially when he believed he was the better, but he also accepted being bested at the hands of Yami. And no one else.

With Yami, Seto felt as if he stood at the bellows of his peak more often than any other contradicting figurative revelation. And strangely, he approved that whole heartedly. Only Yami could make him feel this way; pushed to his limits in greatness while proving that power and determination are not everything; to make him question the opinions he saw as facts; and to make him have such disquieted thoughts run rampant through his mind while seeming cool on the outside. In Seto's eyes, Yami was legendary and most importantly, his. Truthfully, the sex wasn't all he wanted. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't even his top main focus, although it had become an important one. Simply put, Seto had realized that fateful night on the balcony that he wanted _all _of Yami; everything he had to offer and not just sex. Something that Yami had and wore brilliantly in his persona Seto wanted; needed. The best way to obtain what wasn't his was to claim the one who had it. This was his own weird way of showing his admiration, since he wouldn't speak on it. In even simpler understanding, Seto was inspired to not only better himself because of Yami, but to rise to the heights _with_ Yami. However, Seto was not a simplistic man. Complexity was his namesake—and a worthwhile puzzle did him good.

And on the topic of puzzles, when would Yami's own conflicting enigma be put to rest? Seto didn't know all the details. But he was aware of Yami and his geeky friends were on the verge of finding out the traits to Yami's past or something or other that sounded like magical mumbo jumbo to him. But now that he actually began to really think about it, he forced himself to cognitively string together the details he had acquired thus far. It had been said that Yami was the reincarnation of some ancient pharaoh and he himself was the same of some priest.

Seto had just started considering that last thought seriously, and already he was rapidly losing interest and getting bored. But since this mystical crap seemed important to Yami, he may as well entertain the idea—or something. His handsome features shifted to a malcontent expression as he resumed his reminiscing. He remembered Yami was focused on obtaining his true name as well as his memories at some point and needed the God cards to do it. Seto wondered briefly if he could used the same cards to achieve similar results with himself. But last he checked, he didn't have a 3,000 year old spirit of his former self inhabiting his body, nor did he care for his past self. Pause. Wait a minute. Perhaps he was indulging in the possible truth of these insane musings a little too realistically. He considered Yami to be real, but everything else was just some fairy tale mind trick. Yeah, that was it. Much better.

Yet, there was one thing that Seto couldn't just shrug off. Since Yami did not belong in this time, Seto surmised that he would find a way to return to his own, or whatever, in some shape or form. And if that were the case, the time spent between them would be greatly limited. He snorted at the cliché. Life was unpredictable enough as it was, so the urgency of 'time-running-out' dulled just a tad. But Seto wanted more. He always wanted more when Yami was the in focus. And if he wanted to allow Yami fully into his life, he had to be willing to eliminate as many obstacles as he could stand to. His invention was one of them, however, those pods were all they had for now; temporary solution to a much larger problem or not. But even those, like Yami, could not last forever.

In the thought of his partner, Seto's eyes slid over to the form of Yami, watching him from the corners of them. The toasted gold of Yami's bangs caught Seto's attention first; the thickness of them lightly scattered about the pillows as well as across his chiseled face. His eyes were gingerly closed as if any slight movement would rouse him to open them at any given moment. His lips were barely parted in an unspoken whisper, giving the illusion of just being kissed. It didn't occur to Seto that he had turned his head towards Yami in order to take in his brilliant visage until he felt Yami's breath fluttering over his lips. His sharp eyes narrowed in contemplation; an unreadable emotion glinting within their azure degrees. Yami was his and he was not giving him up even if Yami himself did. Mentally, Seto pictured reaching out to take hold of Yami's hand again and give it a firm squeeze. He would have put the motions into existence, but he didn't want to wake Yami. And in addition to that, he wanted to make sure the sight of his dozing face was imprinted in his memory- for better or for worse.

This was a new experience for him. Seto had never shared a bed with anyone other than Mokuba and those times were short lived. Whenever his little brother had constant nightmares or wanted the protective company from the scariness of the booming thunder, he would stand at the edge of Seto's bed and meekly ask if he could climb in bed with him. Soon after, Seto bought Mokuba a night-light and the encounters were less frequent. As Mokuba grew older, the terrors from his youth no longer frightened him, but there were still a few times he wanted to be close to his idolized big brother. Seto had never minded this. He was the only family Mokuba had after all.

But Yami was not Mokuba. Him being so close was tempting enough on its own, not to mention laying on his back in Seto's bed. The sight of the former ruler laying next to him in rest as something both rare and breathtaking all at once. Never before in his life did Seto think another male could look so enticing, fierce and unobtainable all at the same time. Even in "sleep", Yami appeared to be challenging him, daring him to compete with him.

"... ..." Seto had no words to speak, but his spiral of contemplations were quite the contrary. A complex expression was all he could manage to give. Multitudes of possibilities streamed through his head, all containing ideas of what he could do to Yami at this moment. He wanted to claim his lips, he wanted to undress him right here, he wanted to draw carnal sounds from him that no one else would ever be able to do. He wanted Yami; he wanted to unravel him entirely; he wanted to make Yami his so he could discover a new meaning for himself. He wanted to witness his defeat through another's eyes and accept his loss as a significant one at the hands of one he greatly respected and admired. Instead of acting on those urges, Seto sat up on the bed. He gave the embodiment of his lust one more lingering look of speculation before he got out of the bed and left the room.

After taking a quick shower, Seto dressed into something casual, a simple designer cotton undershirt, an aquamarine dress shirt and white slacks. then made a beeline for the kitchen. There he prepared 2 mugs of imported Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee. He wasn't too fond of the citrusy smell, but he wasn't in the mood for a more bitter, blacker coffee either. He usually drank those when he was working. Today, his mood was a lighter burden than usual. Just a bit because he wasn't alone. He managed to put his unanswered thoughts aside and focus more on the positive of Yami being in his presence alone and away from everyone else.

oOo

A bright fruity aroma seeped into Yami's nose and woke him instantly. He pushed himself up from the comfortable sheets, looking around for Seto. But the attractive male was not in the room. Yami's ruby-violet gems shifted to the empty spot on the bed next to him and his lips thinned to a straight line. Although he and Seto only rested side by side in the same bed, having such a large mattress to yourself in the morning was unsettling. "Seto?" he called; his curious eyes scanning the room again with the same results. Although it was absurd, he half expected Seto to pop out of a drawer or from under the rug with one of those ' FUAHAHAHA' guffaws of his from how adamantly Yami's eyes searched for him. Naturally, no such cartoon antics or shenanigans happened. A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth from the thought, then vanished as quickly as it arrived. He truly did want to know of Seto's whereabouts. Occupying Seto's bed without him in it left Yami with a sense of emptiness. And that discomfort made Yami feel guilty for having such feelings. While they didn't engage in any sexual activity, something else was shared between them; something on a much deeper level than just being utterly physical. Or so he thought. Silently, he glanced down to his hands; the same hands that were given a squeeze by Seto the night before. It was sudden and certainly unexpected, but welcomed. He knew that Seto wasn't as harsh as he allowed others to think he was. And now that he had shed more of himself to Yami, it would be that much more difficult to say goodbye to him. Yami paused in his thoughts before shaking them away. He wasn't ready to gain all of his memories yet if it meant leaving Seto behind. Not yet. But, in the same token, he could just be looking too much into this, and absolutely nothing could happen to him after he regained his memories. But he couldn't help but feel that was only wishful thinking. Besides without him around, who knew what Seto would do...or who for that matter.

Yami's alluring eyes became shielded partially behind his lids as they narrowed. Already he was feeling jealous of anyone else Seto may have had an interest in when there was no reason to worry. Supposedly. And speaking of which, just what exactly was Seto doing in that pod without him yesterday? Yami knew less than what he had let on the other day. He was certain that Seto was thinking of him, or rather, imaging the two of them in a surreal virtual setting, but exactly to what extent was it? Yami wasn't too sure, and he felt he should know. He didn't like the idea of Seto gaining any kind of satisfaction from a replicated hologram of him when he wasn't the one to manipulate it, and he certainly did not approve of sexual pleasure from the same.

Yami's need to know had gotten the better of him. Determined, the lithe male slid off the bed and exited the room. He wanted to locate Seto first to determine his whereabouts so Yami could slip into the pod room undetected. Judging by the fresh aroma in the air, Seto was in the kitchen making something. Yami let his nose lead him through the delectable scent in the air to the source of it. Discreetly, Yami peeked around a corner that was just shy of the entrance to the small kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see Seto there standing in front of what looked like to be a coffee pot. Yami's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Seto's back. A different shirt clung to his broad frame with a silent beckon that demanded to be touched. And then removed. With a half-frown, Yami snorted at the thought, then retreated from the wall down a corridor in the adjacent direction.

Thinking he heard something, Seto whipped his head around behind him, expecting to see a nosy Yami. But instead, his eyes met with nothing but the delicate design etched along the kitchen wall. Silently, he allowed a blink to pass while a multitude of speculations shuffled through his mind. Then a quaint expression marked his lips. He knew Yami was awake and it seemed to him like someone wanted to play games. Seto wasn't in the mood, but then decided to why not humor himself just this once this morning. But instead of going after his mischievous culprit right then and there, Seto remained next to the coffee maker and carried on the facade as if nothing had even happened.

Once Yami was inside the pod room, it took him a little while to figure out how to access the computed data log of every thought Seto had while within the machine. But within minutes, success was bestowed upon him. Once he found out that Seto had been "interacting" with thrice more copies of him than he should have, nearly all the color drained from Yami's face and he stared absently into space. Three of him? Really? What on earth possessed Seto to do that?

"_Now you know what I do when you aren't here"_

The confession Seto gave yesterday broke over Yami's features with utter shock and irritation. A forced smile crept along his mouth in a crooked curve and he scoffed. So that was what Seto meant! "How could he-! Such foolish-! Nonsense-!" Yami sputtered in disbelief, not sure whether to be amused or disgusted. And despite himself, he started to laugh. It was an uneven bit of strained laughter that teetered the line of unfathomable and sadistic, but a sound of humor nonetheless. He would need to get even with Seto for this. Shaking his head and muttering dubious amusement to himself, Yami closed the log. He then slipped out of the room and stealthily crept down the hall. As soon as he entered the bedroom, his entire body tensed when his eyes met with Seto's.

The dashing businessman sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed. The mug of a hot beverage was held in one hand while the other rested in his lap. His frosty blue eyes stared acutely into Yami's; attempting to decipher any hidden secrets that may have been withheld in those warm depths. Yami returned the gaze with a quizzical glare that could melt the ice in Seto's eyes. In a tone of pure contrasting humor that was a terrible attempt at shielding being caught red-handed, Yami crossed his arms over his chest, "What?"

"You're up."

"Yes. That I am," he replied, curling his hands into loose fists. He wasn't too thrilled to look at Seto right now even though he was still darkly amused at his little excursion he engaged in the other day. With artificial politeness, he asked, "Were you waiting long?"

A beat passed before Seto answered. "Define long," he inquired, taking a casual drink of his coffee as if today was just any other day. Yami's expression hardened a bit from this, but its presence only lasted for mere seconds. And if Seto noticed it, he wasn't making a verbal comment about it.

"Longer than five minutes, Seto," Yami surmised; the inflection in the name sounding a bit more stern than he wanted to let on. Seto picked up on this of course, but decided to play along for the heck of it. "I didn't see you in the room, so I thought you may have left," he fibbed, "So, where were you?"

Yami swallowed and the most obvious evidence of a lie tumbled out of his mouth, "The bathroom."

"Oh..." Seto mouthed, raising his brows a tad. A challenging smirk smoothed over his lips, then he nodded towards Yami's hands at his sides, "Your hands are dry. Did you wash them?"

"What are you, my mother? Of course I did!"

"Hmm. Sounding pretty defensive for someone who just used the bathroom, aren't you? What were you doing in there to make you seem so suspicious?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Yami shot back, "What do you expect me to say? Is this supposed to be the part where I tell you I spent the short time I was there exalting your name in fornication?"

"Can't you just say masturbate?"

"I wasn't!"

"I didn't say you were, you did."

"Seto-!"

"What"

"This is utterly meaningless!"

"Is it? You're the one still going on about it, so it must be important to you..."

"And it's pointless!"

"So is 'going to the bathroom' for only 3 minutes."

"I wasn't gone from this room that long."

"Thanks for finally telling on yourself. Good job."

"I did nothing of the sort. I'm only telling you what you want to hear, apparently."

"And what exactly do I want to hear? I'm listening..."

"I don't know! Verification, perhaps? Sounds of some sort of stimulation? No, my mistake. Maybe you want them multiplied by 3 instead?"

Seto's eyes narrowed into slits and Yami smirked in a way that made him seem oblivious as well as smug. To change the subject, for now, Yami dared a glance to his left where a second mug rested atop the nightstand near the bed. Assuming it was for him, he walked into the room and joined Seto on the edge of the bed and ignored the seething looks he was being given, hiding his discomfort well. He pointed to the cup, tilting his head to the side which caused his bangs to sweep over one eye, "Is that for me?"

"What do you think," Seto muttered, taking a swig of his own drink and not bothering to keep his eyes on Yami for very long. He was much more distracting than Seto let on. "I'm pretty sure I made two cups of coffee this morning. If one is for me the other has to be for...someone. Or maybe they're both for me."

"Hmph," Yami half-frowned at the sarcasm and cupped the porcelain item in both hands. One hand held the curved handle while the other laced the rim with feathery fingertips. Seto eyed Yami from the corner of his eye, something he was beginning to become fond of, and observed this intricate way of handling such a drink.

New to the appearance of this coffee, Yami brought the mug to his nose and sniffed gently at its fruity scent. He blinked thoughtfully as if doing so would better enhance his senses to understand the beverage. It didn't smell like any coffee he had experienced before and was more tea-like than anything else."What is this, Darjeeling?" he questioned, mainly to himself, and not bothering to look in Kaiba's direction. Yami gave the quaint drink another sniff, then touched his lips to the top of the mug. There, he blew faintly on the liquid and twitched his nose from the change in aroma that tickled his senses. Seto's eyes contracted at this. Yami was behaving so, dare he think it, cute, that he just wanted him to drink the coffee already. Finally, Yami did just that, taking gentle, cautious, slow sips to allow himself to become accustomed to the acquired taste. "_Ziada_...This is coffee?" he wondered; the fact that he had just spoken in his native tongue completely unnoticed by him. Seto turned to him with an unreadable expression, not knowing what foreign word was just said, "What"

"This. It almost tastes like tea," Yami continued, glancing to Seto, then back towards the coffee.

"It's coffee."

"It's...not like anything I've ever tasted."

"When was the last time you had coffee..."

"Does that really matter?"

"It could help," Seto drawled without much passion. Of course, Yami could easily tell his words were drenched with sarcasm. He chuckled lightly; a gentle, sonorous laugh, "And knowing you, it must have cost a fortune."

"Wrong."

"Oh?"

"It only cost $130 a pound."

The look on Yami's face swiftly prompted Seto's next statement, "And don't you dare spit it out! $130 is not bad for this type of imported quality. So enjoy it!"

"!" Yami clasped a hand over his mouth to keep the expensive beverage in. He should have known. While he knew Seto didn't just throw his money around foolishly, he certainly allowed himself top dollar quality whenever he wanted it for the things he deemed necessary. Yami supposed he would need to get used to that if he continued to frequent Seto at night. Their 'relationship' was almost developing to be more like a couple, these days. Yami started to wonder when they'd go out to pick out curtains. But before they did anything like that, there was something Yami had to get off his chest. ...After he finished his coffee.

Once they had both drained their mugs, Yami took it upon himself to move both of the porcelain items to the nightstand. Then he faced Seto directly; a serious look rippling in his eyes, but a smirk on his lips. Narrowed azure analyzed this familiar expression unpleasantly. Annoyed, Seto sighed and crossed his arms, "Go ahead. Let's hear it."

"Hear what? Do you have something to explain to me, Seto?" Yami jeered in a dark tone that could have been mistaken for playful as well as fiercely serious. Seto didn't care for this little game at all; his annoyance was building rapidly. "Just get to the point," he glowered, to which didn't faze Yami in the least.

"You _would_ like to get to the point, wouldn't you? Or better yet, all three of them."

Seto's eyes narrowed crisply and he nodded slowly as if controlling his anger at Yami for snooping around. Yami always had to find out things, didn't he? "You saw the log files, huh?"

"And if I hadn't, you just told me where to look. Bottom line, I don't like it. I would advise you to not do it again as long as you want to see me."

"First of all, I take order from no one, especially from a guy who believes he was some ancient fossil on a power trip. Secondly, I already told you yesterday what I did was for testing! Nothing else!"

"But 3 of me, Seto? Why would you need to imagine something like that in my likeness?"

"Would you prefer I thought of someone else instead?"

"That is not what I'm saying and you know it!"

"You're speaking nonsense. You have the tendency to do that whenever you open your mouth, you know."

"And I'm being very serious."

"I couldn't tell..."

"Seto!"

"Fine you caught me," he shrugged.

"As long as I am around, I want your attention on me alone. Whenever I'm not here or in your presence, I forbid you from engaging in sexual acts with an image of me. Especially multiple ones."

"Then I better hide the hand lotion..." Seto rolled his eyes.

"Can't you be serious?" Yami seethed.

"Can't you take a joke?"

"Sorry. You'll need a sense of humor for that first, Seto!"

"Look who's talking."

Yami sighed, although he couldn't hide the flicker of a smile from that comment, "Look, Seto, what I am saying is, when I'm available to you Seto, it would be best for us to imagine how we should interact with the other together. In unison. Nothing more and certainly nothing less."

"Hmph"

"I don't care if you need more personal data for your invention," Yami pressed, taking this opportunity to place his hands atop Seto's in a way that mimicked his actions the other night, "What you have now is more than fine. You've given me something that no one else could—something that no one else would have been able to in the grandeur that you have. That was all your doing. So don't throw it away without me around. All right?"

"... Are you finished?"

"Not quite, but I'm getting to it. Even when I'm not here nor in your presence, I want your focus to still be on me, when you'll see me again and not on false replicas."

"Sorry, but having sex twice doesn't give you the right to bark demands. Like I said, I don't take orders."

"And that is where you are wrong. I know how you work, Seto."

"Right," Seto sighed, moving his hands from Yami's grasp and crossing his arms. He shifted his eyes elsewhere, although his full attention was on Yami. And Yami certainly continued on.

"And I know that you pretend not to care, like you're doing right now, but I know you do. Otherwise, you would have probably thrown me out by now."

"Maybe I still will," Seto smirked audaciously, returning his sharp frigid hues to his mouthy rival.

"Here I am," Yami smiled while quirking an inviting brow; his words and entirety radiating challenge as well as allure. Seto eyed the other male studiously. To anyone else, Seto would have appeared utterly devoid and separated completely from the look he gave. But Yami knew better; Yami always seemed to be able to read him clearly. It was a skill he used frequently without much effort, it seemed. It almost baffled Seto why Yami wanted them to know more about the other. They already knew more than they should. Yami was always the one to elaborate on points others would leave alone or avoid. It was very annoying, but Seto wouldn't have his nagging, preachy rival any other way... save for being bound by chains and leather and writhing on his bed. "Hmm? What are you thinking, Seto?"Yami wondered, catching onto the odd train of thought and gave Seto a rather intriguing look, "You're not thinking what I think you are, are you?"

And Seto wished he wasn't looking so intently at Yami at that moment. The light from the window hit his eyes just right that made his visage go from astonishing to absolute must have. In that same instant, he imagined Yami not being there; not on his bed, not in his life, not anywhere with him. He couldn't help but feel the slither of uneasiness creep up his spine as the thoughts of losing Yami sooner than he was ready for seeped into his mind. He wasn't having it. Not now. Yami was his, and no mystical destiny or fickle fate was going to take what belonged to him away.

"Seto..." Yami was keen to the change in his other's eyes and knew exactly what was going to occur between the two of them. Almost immediately, he leaned back while Seto ventured forward. Knowing Seto was after his lips, Yami lifted a hand to his mouth like he did the day before. But that didn't work this time. Seto moved his hand down and away from those lips he desired. In that moment, he didn't care if the body was someone else's. He wanted Yami and that was exactly who, and all, he saw.

"! Seto-!" Yami cautioned, but his airy warning was muffled to silence when Seto pressed his mouth to his. Immediately, Yami's arms rose and he pressed his hands against Seto's chest. But that was all he did and any other efforts that went into pushing Seto away ended right there. He practically gave no struggle against Seto's advances and his hands remained about his chest, marveling over the smooth fabric of Seto's shirts. The inviting warmth of Seto's mouth was much too wonderful for him to repel and he inwardly called for and desired more. Before he knew it, he had given up trying to fight with his morals; his hands lightly curling against Seto's chest in vain and emptiness. Yami silently surrendered himself, becoming both a liar and insatiable unanimously. Seto _had_ been respecting Yami's wishes since he described his dilemma with sharing Yūgi's body, but now he felt compelled to just claim the mouth that was his. It was a bit reckless, but he needed this closeness more than he let on. He needed 'him' and his kisses proved that.

"Mm-" Yami breathed. His eyes were closed gently and his mouth remained slightly open to readily receive more of what Seto had to offer. Their kisses were quiet, a little hesitant, but the powerful emotion behind them was clearly evident. What label that emotion had was up for interpretation, but it was strongly mutual. Seto paused for a moment. He pulled back just enough to obtain a full view of Yami's face. Quite similar to the first night they shared a kiss, Yami held the almost exact same expression. His feathery lashes weightlessly hovered above his cheeks with an intricateness that rivaled the wings of a small bird that could flutter at any moment. His brows were relaxed from being immersed in impassioned candor. His mouth widened and contracted faintly with each breath he drew. The difference was slight, but Seto could identify it easily with lucid eyes. Unlike the surprise and curious need for that type of physical contact of the first night, now that need had grown into something more. There was an understanding, as well as remorse written across his features. That sadness could have been contributed from many things, but Seto condensed them down to being at Yūgi's mercy and the consequences that awaited.

But above all else, in this moment, Yami wanted more. He lifted his lavish lids slowly; an elegant desire dancing in those swirls of amaranth. And within those regal features was a beckon and challenge to Seto that only he could decode. And accept. They had already crossed the line. There was no point in hiding it now. Without a word, they welcomed and embraced another kiss that thrived with lashing tongues and soft breathy moans.

Yami's fingers tugged at the thin fabric of Seto's shirts at his and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. By instinct, Seto coiled his tongue with Yami's and pressed his mouth against his in a way that made Yami lean back. The unique flavor of the coffee still lingered and Seto earnestly suckled on Yami's tongue, finding the rich taste much more enjoyable with the flavor of Yami added to it. A delicate moan slipped from the former ruler and he allowed Seto full control over him in that one little second. Before long, he was on top of Yami with the exotic male on his back in the sheets. Their mouths and tongues continued to battle, while their hands gave an occasional squeeze or roam wherever they pleased.

They were making a mistake, the both of them knew that. They both knew their time together would be temporary, but Yami knew more than Seto of when he wanted his time to be up. He was prolonging it. Although he wasn't sure exactly what would happen to him after he got his memories back, he was almost certain the only thing left for him to do from then was to goto his afterlife. He supposed that was his destiny. But he knew Seto didn't believe in that sort of thing. He was adamant about shaping his own path. And now that Yami had a wonderful sample of what being wanted in such sensual ways with someone he was most fond of, he did not want to let that go. He almost felt as if he never should have gotten involved with Seto so intimately in the first place but he knew his thoughts would have haunted him to no end if he hadn't. No matter what he volition he made, Yami would always clutch tightly to guilt. The more he spent time with Seto, the heavier and tighter the knot that guilt instilled would get. He was being selfish. He was lying to himself. He was lying to Yūgi as well as Seto. But he didn't want to let go.

And because he didn't, Seto had to for him. With a wet sound, their mouths parted and Seto stared at Yami with a complicated expression. Before the other even opened his eyes, his fingers straightened against Seto's chest and he pressed his palms against him. This motion seemed to be more like a reflex than anything meaningful, but Seto allowed it nonetheless. He had expected Yami to stop him a lot sooner, however.

"Stop..." Yami panted, "...Seto... Don't..."

"Now you say it..." he murmured, hardly moving his lips. Then his tone hardened with a truthful understanding, "You know I wouldn't have..." he trailed off, his words carrying the meaning of he wasn't going to have sex with him here although he wanted to. He put too much time, effort and money into making those pods, he wasn't going to nullify their use already. Yami understood this and didn't think otherwise for a second, "I know, but we still..."

"..."

"Why does it have to be this way between us?" Yami griped, his hands tightening into fists at Seto's shirt. Irritated that his significant other always got emotional like this, Seto cupped his chin firmly, "Look at me."

"..." Yami tried to writhe out of the hold, but he reluctantly did as instructed. Gingerly, his dejected lids lifted and the beautiful anguish that shimmered in his jeweled eyes held more pain than he could speak. A sparkle of liquid gave Yami's eyes a thin film of gloss as his frustration continued to churn. Whatever Seto was going to say was stolen right from him.

"What will we do..." Yami spoke; his words emulating that of a stern statement instead of a question, "What will I tell Yūgi?"

"Nothing, and you're not going to have a breakdown. We both contributed to this."

"But I..."

"You're just as guilty as I am so don't try to pretend you're the only victim, here."

"I...I wasn't!" Yami retaliated back with a sharp scowl,"You're placing the blame where it doesn't belong, Seto!"

With a groan, Seto pulled away from his bickering and delusional rival and stood to his feet, "Wake up, would you! And stop hiding things from yourself. How can you preach all that friendship crap when you're contradicting yourself by pointing fingers?"

Silence. Seto had him there.

"If you're afraid, then just say so. Then we could do something about it. I shouldn't have to tell you this, Yami...!"

"... You're right," the troubled ruler nodded, adverting his eyes away from Seto.

"Of course I am," Seto frowned, crossing his arms.

"Hmph. I don't know what's gotten into me..." Yami placed a hand to his forehead. He sat up and pushed himself off the bed. Seto watched him out the corner of his eye with a calculating gaze. Yami shook his head and whisked his bangs out of his face, which of course they fell right back into place. "Not me" is what Seto wanted to answer, but instead he snorted and turned to give Yami his full attention. Already feeling the touch of Seto's shadow on his body, Yami tensed and gave an awkward expression when Seto neared close. The nightstand was directly behind him, so he wasn't going anywhere.

"Don't try that again, Seto." Yami warned with a twinge of finality to his tone. Instead of a protest, Seto grabbed Yami by the arm and yanked him to his chest. The smaller male fell easily into the motion and swore in response from being so light. His brows knit together and he gazed up at Seto with a scolding glare. "And where are we going with this?"

"Do I always need to explain myself?"

"It may help, yes."

Seto's lips thinned faintly at this. Leave it to Yami to start something out of nothing. It was annoying, but not that bad. With a trademark Kaiba sound in the "Hnnnn"registry, Seto led Yami out of the room with the goal of the pods in mind. And while Yami didn't try to worm his way out of this, he still gave his two cents, "Seto, it's nearly the afternoon! I need to get back!"

"Can't you wait 5 minutes?"

"With you? You should give yourself more credit than that!"

"Then an hour or two is fine with you. Good to know."

"Seto! I did not say that!"

"I think someone's lying again..."

Those words hit a soft spot and this time, Yami did free himself from Seto's grasp, "What did you just say?"

"Not again...!" Seto seethed.

"Why did you call me a liar..."

"I said you were lying not a liar! There is a difference!"

"No, there isn't, Seto."

Seto sighed and ran an aggravated hand through his hair. Now he was beginning to get upset. He didn't know what he was going to do with this man and it was driving him up a wall. "Do you want to be with me or not?" Seto blurted out. The question caught Yami completely off guard and he recoiled as if he had gotten hit in the face. "What!"

"Answer me, do you want this to work between us or don't you?"

"You know that I do."

Seto breathed a sigh of relief. Yami gave him an answer. If he had hesitated, then he would have assumed the more negative alternative of the answer being no. But Yami answered right away. That made Seto relax a bit, but he still was not pleased with how things were turning out. "I'm not asking you to be perfect. Can't you lighten up?"

"Says the one who guards his emotions and speaks with almost none of them."

"Okay, mind telling me where all of this is coming from? One kiss could not have promoted all this!"

"... It didn't."

"So?"

"So what will we do?"

"... I don't believe this," Seto sneered with piercing eyes. The two of them just stared at the other, almost appearing in a face-off similar to the hero and villain of some spaghetti western. And the bad guy never won at the end of the movie. Just as one of them was about to draw his verbal weapon, the sudden melody of "If I Ruled the World" by Nas wavered into the hall. Seto's eyes narrowed as he turned his head in the direction of the song and Yami just stood there utterly dumbfounded. After a few seconds of just listening to the lyrics and beat, the two of them exchanged looks. Then Seto muttered something Yami figured was the equivalent of a "Hold on" before briskly entering the bedroom. The sound of a drawer being yanked open shot into the air before the song finally stopped. Seto's serious monotone took place of all else. "Kaiba here. … … What time... … I don't need this now. Reschedule it. … …. Making it earlier won't help! Fine. Tell them I'll be ready for them in an hour."

There was a loud snap, Yami surmised was the closing of a type of cell phone he hadn't yet seen. Given the lyrics of the ringtone, Yami supposed it was for work only. Or something to that effect. Moments later, Seto's scowling form darkened the doorway. He stared harshly at Yami as if he were trying to decide what to do with him. Finally, he found his words, "There's been a last second meeting that I have to attend, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Fine, Seto," Yami nodded and started to exit the hall. As he passed Seto, he completely expected to be grabbed by the arm and didn't retaliate against it when it happened. Although, what he didn't expect was to be pulled close, nor to feel Seto's taunting lips at his ear, "Come see me tonight," his whisper was like stinging ice. Yami shuddered and made a suggestive sound despite himself. He honestly didn't want to see Seto again in the same day with the way he felt right now. In actuality, he wanted to be left alone to think. Seto felt the hesitation and slowly withdrew. His stoic eyes glared daggers at Yami, to which the former ruler acknowledged with an emotionless expression. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

Yami sighed.

"I'll call you," Seto decided.

"No! I will call you. I can't risk Yūgi knowing about the phone calls."

"So he doesn't know? Interesting. And here I figured a blabbermouth like you would have told him everything by now. Color me impressed..."

Yami would have believed him if he didn't sound so flat and monotone. And he didn't get a chance to elaborate on that when the phone rang again. Swearing, Seto flew into the room to answer it. This time, it sounded like he ripped the drawer out of its dresser completely before silencing the rap song, "What is it now? … … ... ... The entire week... And then I'll never have to see them again?... ..."

Yami peered into the room. Watching Seto handle a business call was certainly interesting, if not a little amusing. He would have shown more of that amusement if he didn't feel so terrible with his actions earlier. And if Seto was going to be in a series of meetings for an entire week, then he probably wouldn't have much time for the two of them anyway. Then Yami frowned. He knew better. Seto would make time. But Yami needed to leave. He could feel Yūgi starting to stir. If he was going to try to leave, now seemed like a better time than any other. But his shoes were in there.

With a deep sigh, Yami muttered something to himself before he walked into the bedroom, purposely ignoring Seto's following eyes and shuffled into his shoes. He didn't even bother giving Seto anything more than a few glances and headed out of the room.

Once out in the hall, he started to run towards the front door. Needless to say, he couldn't get the door open without Seto being directly behind him. He was still on the phone, but his eyes were completely on Yami.

"I need to go," Yami mouthed. Seto was aware of this. He moved the phone away from his ear to lean down and claim Yami's mouth with his. Yami grunted, but he didn't put up much of a fight either, despite his sounds of irritation and protest. But what Yami didn't want to admit was if Seto kept this up, he was going to get used to it. Fast.

No matter how much Seto only saw Yami and no one else, these lips were still not his to call his own. Just when he was about to push Seto away, Seto let up; an odd but triumphant smirk on his face. "Still leaving?" he asked silently, then gave a verbal response to his phone call. Yami lifted the back of his hand to his mouth, mocking the motion of wiping Seto's kiss off, but not actually doing it. His eyes glistened with an emotion Seto found amusing. Clumsily, Yami gave his answer, "I'll uh... call you later..." he uttered. Satisfied, Seto stepped back to allow Yami to take his leave.

OoO

"3 pm?" Yūgi exclaimed when he saw the bright red numbers on his alarm clock. He sat up in his bed with a start and rubbed his eyes, "Pharaoh, why didn't you wake me up sooner?" he whined. When he didn't receive an answer, Yūgi looked around for his companion, but he was nowhere to be found. Maybe he just wanted some time to himself for some reason. With a sigh, he threw the sheets off his petite body and stood on the carpet. Without realizing, he licked his lips, then he froze. Tasting a flavor he never experienced before, Yūgi licked his lips again, then did a "breath check" into his palm. The fancy and sweet smell of some type of food or drink wafted into his nostrils. His childish features scrunched in confusion and deep thought as he tried to identify the smell and taste by comparing it to other things he had eaten that shared a similarity. The closest he could come up with was some kind of bowl of fruit with cream and a dash of freshly baked dough. The taste was too distant for him to label and he ultimately dismissed the entire ordeal. He padded into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, then took a shower. As he readied himself for the day ahead, Yami's form materialized atop Yūgi's bed. He laid on his back with his arms and legs spread. His eyes were shut and a scowl dappled his features. He couldn't help but feel like the worst being ever to lurk the planet right now.

He had no idea what he was going to tell Yūgi, if he were going to tell him at all. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He and Seto both severed the thin line of their limits; anyone could see where that was going to lead. And as much as Yami would have wanted to be in Seto's bed, being freed from his clothing and the worry of the world around him, he could not let that happen with Yūgi's body. He should have expected the two of them to kiss at another time.

Then Yami halted in that train of thought. He was running away again. If Seto could hear his inner turmoil, he probably would have hit him. And Yami would have deserved it. Now, he decided to be honest with himself within this moment. The kiss did cross a border, but that was not the full reason for the way he felt now. It never was. He had slipped in hints to Seto that he wanted to be taken advantage of; he wanted to be claimed; he wanted to feel Seto's mouth against his, regardless of him using Yūgi's body in order to do so. Seto simply hadn't chosen to move in for that reward until today. The real issue was Yūgi. Both Yami and Seto knew they couldn't keep up this charade for too much longer. A goal needed to be met; they needed real touches and while virtual ones allowed them the most freedom, there was only so much realism to it. While Yami appreciated Seto's efforts, it was not enough and the weight of that anguish was suffocating.

"Oh, so this is where you were, Pharaoh?" Yūgi's soft voice fluttered into the room. The draw of his voice caused Yami to sit up and face his partner directly. He crossed one leg over the other as he sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hands atop one knee. He was doing his best to appear casual so Yūgi wouldn't suspect anything out of place. "Yes, I apologize for worrying you of my whereabouts, Yūgi," he answered seamlessly; darting his eyes to the clock in the room before returning his gaze to Yūgi. In roughly 8 more hours, he would be free to contact Seto- if he declared it necessary. He still had a choice in what he would do.

But Yūgi noticed none of this. Relief was inscribed over Yūgi's face from finally locating his friend and he walked over to the bed while brushing his bushy locks. "Sorry if I bothered you! I just didn't see you and got a little worried."

Yami forced a weak smile and lifted his chin slightly to move a section of his bangs out of his face. It was a gesture that Seto was famous for doing in these past few years. It wasn't a surprise that even he had caught onto it. "There is no need for you to be sorry, Yūgi. Are you meeting with everyone today?"

"Mmhmm," Yūgi nodded. With a tired sigh, he plopped down on the bed next to Yami then leaned back on his hands. Thoughtfully, he kicked his legs back and forth while staring innocently at the ceiling. There was a wistful tint in those large violet orbs that Yami recognized as his little one gaining an idea about something. "What is it, Aibou?" he questioned genuinely.

"Just thinking..."

"About?"

"I'm not sure."

"I don't understand."

Instead of answering, Yūgi covered his mouth as a yawn filled his palm. Yami felt a tad guilty about this for utilizing Yūgi's body for periods longer than he had originally planned. Then his eyes contracted; a flicker of envy ghosting over their fiery surface. He felt very jealous of Yūgi right now, but those feelings were wrong of him to have. He placed them aside and gave Yūgi his full attention, "Tired?"

"Yeah... Not sure why! I must have stayed up later on the phone last night with Anzu and Joey than I thought," Yūgi responded dubiously. Then his features brightened and he gave his other half a pleasant smile, "Say, Pharaoh, Anzu and I are going to visit the museum today. You know, the one where you discovered your past as an ancient pharaoh."

Yami was not amused nor enlightened by this bit of information at all. One of his main reoccurring problems was the last thing he wanted to discuss and deal with right now. That discomfort showed on his regal features only for a moment, but it was enough to make Yūgi hold up his hands in caution. "I get it, I get it! You're not ready to gain your memories yet! It's fine, Pharaoh but, when exactly do you plan on going through with it?"

"Whenever I am ready, Yūgi."

"Yeah, I know, but I thought you were ready weeks ago. It wasn't until we started helping Mokuba with his homework that you wanted to postpone it."

"What are you implying, Yūgi?" Yami asked in a low, discreet tone. Yūgi was treading in a place he didn't like, and in addition to that, it seemed deliberate. But he didn't want to point fingers either. Seemingly, he gained something from his and Seto's bouts of arguments a few hours prior. "Pharaoh..." Yūgi began; evidence of authentic concern lacing his child-like features, "I'm just concerned you'll get trapped in something and then you'll never want to find yourself."

"I don't need to be found. I'm right here, I always have been."

"But you could be more"

"Why does and since when has it mattered?"

"I'm just reminding you in case you forgot your reason for being here."

"My reasons for being here are my burden and my concern. Even if you want to share that responsibility, it still falls back on me and still remains my difficulty."

"... You haven't talked about Kaiba lately. Have you cut him off after...you know..." he trailed off, wanting to avoid voicing the terror he experienced being dragged through the mansion and pinned to Kaiba's bed. Yami eyed Yūgi wordlessly, taking in the suggestiveness of the situation. Adverting his eyes, he stood. Apprehensive, he crossed his arms; his back to Yūgi, "Seto and I have...met with a few misunderstandings..."

"And?"

"And what? There is nothing for me to tell you." And that was true. Yūgi didn't specifically ask anything to be directly answered or shared. That was the loophole, there...

"... But you two are...were... you said you've... kissed before, right?"

"... … I did."

"And?"

"I do not wish to speak of it."

And just like that, the conversation ended. Yami's image dissipated from before Yūgi's eyes and the younger immediately went to grab the puzzle. "Pharaoh?" he called, but was given no answer. Thinking he took things a little too far, Yūgi softly apologized to his friend, then hung the puzzle around his neck.

OoO

Later that night after Yūgi was fast asleep, Yami took control of his body and headed downstairs into the living room. Once he reached the sofa, he gave the room a quick scan just to make perfectly certain that n one else would catch him with what he was about to do. The action was completely unnecessary, but in this moment, Yami's guilt outweighed the obvious and added to his imaginary suspicions. After concluding no one could possibly be around to watch him, he lifted one of the sofa cushions and retrieved the cell phone Seto had allowed him to use. Yami had started hiding it there in order to keep its existence away from Yūgi. So far, the little one had no idea of its presence.

The wide device fit perfectly into Yami's palm and he placed his other hand over it, cupping it hesitantly as he cradled his fluctuating thoughts. Should he even bother to call Seto? For all he knew his meeting would still be continuing; not with other bosses and organizations, but within Seto's mind and home office. The thought of Seto overworking himself as usual earned a faint smirk on Yami's lips. That man's diligence was too much for words, but at least he has shown that he can actually have fun. A fact Yami should know rather well.

While he played with the idea of what to do, as well as passing the phone back and forth between his hands, a sudden buzz from it caused him to toss the device into the air with a start and a sound of unexpected surprise. The phone bounced off the cushion and fell onto the floor. It continued to buzz as it shook and vibrated across the carpet. Then it was silenced. Seconds later, it began to vibrate in a semi circle. After 2 rounds of this, it finally stopped for good. Considering things safe again, Yami knelt down and checked the number. Of course, it was Seto, but he didn't call. Instead, he had left 2 text messages:

"I'm waiting." And "I know you have the phone so stop procrastinating and just call me."

Turning red, Yami sputtered a grousing response while snatching up the phone, but following Seto's instruction nonetheless. The call was answered on half of the first ring.

"It's about time."

"Did you miss me..." Yami growled through clenched teeth; his sarcasm at its best, "What were you thinking messaging me like that? Yūgi could have seen!"

"He's been asleep for at least 15 minutes, hasn't he? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you tend to call me around the exact same time every night. Picking up a pattern wasn't hard."

"Can't you just say 'hello' or is it beneath you?"

"...What are you doing," Seto changed the subject.

"I should be avoiding you."

"Then why aren't you?"

"That's a good question. But don't feel flattered or anything," Yami pointed out, making sure to articulate the word 'flattered' in a velvety fluidity. Seto snorted in response, but the sound of his voice made it obvious he enjoyed Yami's verbal way with the tongue.

"I wasn't. I'm bored. I wanted to talk to you tonight."

"Well?"

"..."

"Seto?"

"I just wanted to hear your voice before I go back to finishing off these reports."

"... I see."

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

"But there is a problem..."

"Yes."

"Do you want to come over?" Seto detoured the "conversation" yet again with an offer Yami found out of the blue. But then again, this was Seto. His whims never ceased to astonish.

"Aren't you at the mansion?"

"Yeah, but Mokuba isn't here. I sent him off with his girlfriend. I don't expect him back for at least another month."

"Oh. That was thoughtful of you."

"So is that a yes or a no?"

"Won't I disturb your work?"

"You already are. A distraction is what I'm looking for," Seto replied coolly.

"But..." Yami trailed off. If he did show up there, they wouldn't be able to do much and he didn't want to risk being so close to Seto now. He knew they would kiss again. He wanted it of course, but he couldn't keep risking Yūgi's trust. A valiant thought even though that promised trust of his was already chipping.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you"

"I don't want what happened today to happen again between us, Seto."

"Is that the least of your worries?"

"No, and you know it."

"Look, to get things straight between us, I am not having sex with you in that runt's body so get that out of your mind."

"Then, what will you do with me there?"

"Who knows..."Seto trailed off in obvious deliberation of what could happen.

Yami shook his head, "You almost sounded wistful there."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted us to spend more time with each other right?"

"Yes. I do recall saying that."

"Then this would be your chance. So what's it going to be?"

"Seto... if I do this, I can't get here late in the afternoon again..."

"So you're coming?"

"I didn't say that..."

"Then what are you saying?"

"..."

"If you don't say anything within the next two seconds starting _now_, then I'll just-"

"W-what? W-wait! Seto!"

"Too late. I'm sending a ride for you. Be ready in 7 minutes. I'll see you when you get here."

"B-but! Seto! Hold on! That isn't fair!"

_**Click!**_

OoO

ARRRGGH! I wanted this chapter to be so so so so SO much longer... but it would have broken 40+ pages and not everyone would willingly read that. Out of the 7 scenes I had planned for this chapter, I only managed to get to number two! And this is 15 pages of story now _ The first part of the next installment to come wasn't even supposed to happen. I didn't think of it until the last second, but I enjoyed writing it.

And to keep you ready for more, here's a snippet of the next chapter:

_Their mouths feathered against the other, not stealing any kisses in this moment, but reveling in the closeness and warmth it offered. Nothing else and no one else mattered right now. These two were all that there was. Yami clawed at Seto's suit, panting and drawing his wet lips over Seto's, then dipped to kiss his chin. A faint sound thrived in Seto's throat and Yami felt one of his strong hands cup his face._

Egyptian Arabic: _Ziada- _"Very sweet"

Oh yeah, and the rap song is a lil joke towards Grace for having Seto like rap music in her story lol

**Ooc!**

Seto: I am troubled.

Yami: I HAVE ANGST!

Seto: I have coffee

Yami: Let's argue!

Seto: Do we have to?

Yami: YES! Argue with me!

Seto: Argue. Argue. Argue.

Yami: No VR (Trooper) smex without me around! I mean it! I'll have to face my destiny soon! AN ANCIENT FORCE IS AT WORK HERE. THE WHOLE WORLD MAY BE IN DANGER BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!

Seto: Whatever, I'm going to kiss you now. Again.

Yami: DEJA VU!

Yami: I'm such a liar...

Seto: You're lying

Yami: WHAT? HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH THINGS!

Seto: Hypocrite. But I still find you hot, so call me.

Yami: No! Not even if you kiss me again!

Seto: ***kisses***

Yami: Uh... I'll call you tonight.

Yūgi: Wow I am more insignificant than Mokuba! He's mentioned more than I am in a positive light!

To be continued _

-Mel


	6. Thoroughly

**_A/N: Some angst on both their parts and some touching moments._**

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 6

OoO

Yami drew in a breath as he readied himself to enter Seto's home office. Both hands pressed against the double doors and shoved them open. The light from the hallway he was in cascaded over his frame and sliced a narrow path into the room like a photon runway. His slender legs glided over the carpet; one slinking in front of the other, causing his walk to be nothing short of seductive. He was unaware of this, and his body continued to move in suggestive ways that made his hips sway in the rhythm of an unheard melody. Against the lights of the night displayed out the large window in the shaded room, his slender form drank in the ebony of his surroundings like a sultry succubus in her prime.

The near darkness of the office enveloped Yami the second he shut the doors behind him. The only spots of light lingered from the soft glow of Seto's laptop and the city lights that shimmered through the room's broad windows. Seto sat at his desk betwixt the evanescent luminescence; leaning back in the chair with both arms propped up on the armrests, his legs crossed and a lazy fist resting against his face. The luster of a calculating thought flickered in his azure eyes as they beheld his rival and a thin curve of amusement punctuated his lips. "Not bad," Seto noted, sounding mildly impressed.

Lost within himself for a moment, Yami thought he was referring to his entrance into the office, initially. But that didn't seem to be the case. "? Oh, you mean this?" Yami wondered, gesturing towards himself while gazing down at the change in his apparel. Instead of his usual sleeveless shirt, a fitting splash of black conformed to his taut torso; a v neck shirt spun from Egyptian cotton. It appeared to be a few sizes too small, so a slither of his abdomen alluringly showed. His legs were hugged with snug slacks of shaded cobalt that allowed him with enough "breathing room", but showed off his lean muscles just as much. The sharp pointed shoes he wore were of a designer brand that Seto was quite familiar with. Too bad it had gone out of style three years ago, but the luxurious shine of them ascended Yami's overall visage to an exquisite status. Lifting his head to face Seto, Yami made a slight movement with his neck to flick his bangs out of his eyes so he could see Seto fully. "It's a bit old, but I decided to buy it when Yūgi was on a field trip, then later attended a series of outlet shops. I chose to have a look around for myself with much of his persuasion."

"I see," Seto responded plainly without much interest in hearing about the others. He lifted his hand from the armrest and motioned to Yami with a finger, "Come here," his husky words demanded. Yami felt a lump form in his throat from the sight of Seto appearing so tastefully inviting. The cloak of night looked glorious on him in the contrast of the white and light blue of his business attire. Without the utterance of a sound, Yami's body moved on its own and he strolled over towards his rival. Instead of waiting for being told where to sit, he perched atop the corner of the desk. Seto's eyes instantly flitted down to the curve of Yami's bottom where it smothered the side of the polished mahogany. Yami watched this, and couldn't help the smirk that delicately adorned his lips. He crossed one leg exquisitely over the other and faced Seto at a ¾ angle. He pressed a palm to the top of the desk and sent his other hand, prancing on fingertips, along the back of the laptop. His eyes remained deeply seated within Seto's, daring him to stop him as he closed the computer and moved it to the side. Much to his pleasant surprise, Seto didn't discourage the motion and continued to eye Yami with his usual cocky expression. Amused, Yami lifted a piqued brow, "Am I really that distracting to you?"

"You are," Was the dim response, "And you're a tease," Seto added. The chair gave a creak as he sat upright in it and leaned forward to grasp Yami around the arm. The shorter didn't bother to resist, this time, and allowed Seto to pull him into his lap. Although he gave Seto much lip and protest earlier that day, he honestly was relieved to have more time to spend with him now. Nearly every problem he had was placed in the back of his mind under heavy lock––against his better judgment. For this moment, he didn't want the stress of his destiny to cause him to enjoy this his moments with Seto any less. His time spent with Seto had become precious and he wasn't ready to give it up yet. He was going to enjoy his time with Seto this night, in whatever they may do. He wasn't yet prepared to do anything else but that. He knew better, but the more he dwelled on those thoughts, the sooner he willed them away. Selfish? Stubborn? Of course it was. And he deemed himself strong enough to deal with those consequences—but at what cost?

"I do not find this position comfortable," Yami complained to Seto with a mild smirk. If Seto had been standing, the illusion of them just being married would have been easily assumed. "So move."

"I will," Yami continued, running his hands over the smooth material of Seto's suit coat and gripping it lightly while he lifted himself high enough to spread his legs on either side of Seto's. "Mm, this is interesting..." Seto thought aloud, giving Yami an enticing look. It was enough to make Yami forget where he was for a moment, but he soon recomposed himself. Their eyes intermingled with the other; sharing thoughts carried on the reflected gloss of the city lights beyond them. There was a raw, unbridled emotion easily caught in both their jeweled hues and without any thought, they both acted out their physical desires.

Their mouths feathered against the other, not stealing any kisses in this moment, but reveling in the closeness and warmth it offered. Nothing else and no one else mattered right now. These two were all that there was. Yami clawed at Seto's suit, panting and drawing his wet lips over Seto's, then dipped to kiss his chin. A faint sound thrived in Seto's throat and Yami felt one of his strong hands cup his face. His mouth was brought to Seto's and they shared another bit of false kisses. But Yami soon grew tired of them, and Seto acknowledged that. Suddenly, Yami's mouth widened to draw in a gasp when he felt Seto's tongue touch his. It was a form of teasing; a test to see what Yami's reaction would be. And upon instinct, Yami returned the play. The two of them engaged in a carnal, visible show of quarreling tongues; the illuminations of the night casting them in a soft outline. Yami wasn't sure which one of them advanced first in their small battle for dominance; his mind had become clouded with a sensual haze. But once his senses returned to him, he quickly became aware of the rough, feverish kisses they shared as if their lives depended on them. "Ah-!" he breathed. But the both of them were too surprised and much too enthralled with the moment to break free just yet. A thin thread of saliva budded at the corner of Yami's mouth and a rich moan fluttered from him when Seto's tongue swept over his lips.

Their tongues resumed their clashing; swirling and battling with each tilt of their head and press of their lips until they both finally separated for air. Yami had been so drawn in by the moment and just being with his Seto that his words to him of not wanting to kiss again had been completely absent in his mind. Looks like the mighty Pharaoh, who was adamant about remaining true to his word, goofed. Around Seto, almost everything else he guarded or felt strongly about lost its weight in meaning... It was a rather bad habit that had followed Yami for some time now since the two had built their rivalry–which was quite a few years.

A swear left him and he placed a hand over his mouth in folly. To this, Seto eyed Yami sharply, while taking low and almost silent breaths to reclaim a proper respiratory flow. His words revealed themselves in astonished, but amused, husky velvet, "_You_ kissed _me._"

"And you didn't stop me?"

"Was I supposed to? You didn't stop yourself! But, I guess I can't really blame you. It _is _me after all," Seto gloated with a shrug and a devilish grin that boasted pure arrogance.

"Shut up!" Yami quipped, giving Seto's chest a push, but he did not move to get up and remained in Seto's lap. Seto raised a brow at this, then crossed his arms, "You're not going to move?"

"Do you want me to move?"

"... ..." a light smirk touched the corner of Seto's mouth and he whisked the bangs out of his eyes with an effortless movement. But the majority of them cascaded over one of his eyes, giving him an almost conniving look. Yami bit his lip. Seto was inexplicably gorgeous and those little smug expressions of his only added to that and the difficulty of trying to ignore them. Perhaps that was part of his "charm".

"Anyway," Seto continued on, changing the subject, "you've said you wanted to talk to me?"

"You wanted us to spend more time together, didn't you? So now, we're doing that. Start talking."

"Uh...well.. how was work today?"

"Boring"

"Your job or the question?"

"Both. A better question would have been why do I bother to put up with you?"

Yami frowned but it appeared more like a pout. Casually, he folded his arms over his chest and tapped a finger against his forearm, "I put up with more from you than I could ever give you. Your ego is constricting."

"Don't play innocent," Seto grinned darkly, "You can be more arrogant than me, but I have a reason to be this way. I've earned my arrogance."

"And you flaunt it around with the public knowledge that you can never best me in a duel," Yami grinned, wagging a finger. Seto eyed the digit silently; dark thoughts running through his mind of the possibilities that could be done with it. But instead of dwelling on those thoughts, he returned his eyes to Yami's; a mocking expression with an unreadable emotion ghosting over his features. At Seto's silence, Yami blinked.

"What no retaliation?"

"I _will_ defeat you in a duel, make no mistake about that!"

"Hmmm...Care to test that theory?" Yami taunted, lifting his chin proudly.

"Didn't you want to talk?"

"I am having fun, Seto. Isn't that important?"

"... You're weird," he grinned. With a chuckle, Yami returned the expression, "And you're Bruce Wayne."

Seto snorted at this, "Then you're Harley Quinn. Annoying and a nag."

"I resent that, Seto! I am not annoying!" Funnily, he forgot to refute the "nag" part.

"In all my life upto this point, I haven't met anyone who preaches and complains as much as you do. And being in a 'relationship' with you has only doubled that. Don't you ever listen to yourself?"

"I waver in and out sometimes," Yami joked, gesturing with his hand and turning his head from Seto.

"You're pouting again..."

"I do not pout, Seto!" Yami shot back, facing him with fleeting eyes and a serious, but cute, look on his face.

"Hmph" Seto snickered, "You're an obtuse, grade A weirdo."

"And you have an unhealthy obsession."

"Great... Here we go..." Seto drawled dryly.

"Shall I fetch your cape and cowl? Or better yet, I should call you Superman."

"What..." Seto asked; his drab incredulousness sounding more like he was bored. But eagerly, Yami continued on, "Think about it. You have this indestructible image about you and you are quick to protect those you care about. Not to mention I believe you have x-ray vision haha..."

"Now, you're talking nonsense."

"Am I, Seto? You're the one believing in this 'nonsense'. Besides, someone who sleeps as less as you do should have some sort of surpassing power by now. But in all seriousness, tell me, if anything happened to Mokuba, you would do all you could to punish who hurt him and make sure he was perfectly all right, wouldn't you?"

"Why are you asking me a stupid question?" Seto nearly growled, his words came out so lowly. Some puzzles and riddles were fine, but Yami always had to take something beyond it's extreme and make a mountain out a mole hill. But what made things worse for Seto in that respect was even with all those dramatics, Yami ended up being in the right for behaving in such ways. But he was still a weirdo.

"And with that," Yami paused, taking a moment to choose the right words without them being too premature to mention. His tone softened and he neared closer to Seto, placing his hands in Seto's lap in front of him, "you would do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

"..."

"You would refuse to let anyone else have me...?"

Yami had gained all of Seto's attention with that statement. At first, Seto only gave him a blank stare. Then his eyes gradually began to widen a tad as the realization and imagery of such an idea ran behind his eyes. Without thinking, he clutched Yami by the collar of his shirt and yanked him against his chest. Their noses bumped; their lips tasted the other. Slowly, Seto opened his mouth to speak, "No one else deserves what I do," he whispered, speaking of Yami as some sort of possession, "You are my only rival; you are my only thrill. I'm the only one who can defeat you... on the battlefield as well as in the bedroom..."

"...That's taking this a bit too far, don't you think? The latter hasn't been tested and the former certainly hasn't been acclaimed," Yami teasingly returned, all the while taking Seto's words to heart, "I think you should sort out your facts first. But at least you answered my question... in your own way."

"Hmph..." Seto half-frowned, releasing his grip and pressing Yami away. The exotic male sat up earnestly and slipped both hands beneath his downy bangs and flicked them about the sides of his face. With his fingertips. Then, he shook his head; his wild hair following suit. "I really hold that much importance towards you, do I? I suppose I do... you seem to never have enough of me. Isn't that right?"

"Do you want me to throw you out of here?"

"Hahaha..." Yami laughed airily. He tilted his head to the side, not bothering to move the pointed bangs that tapered over the curves of his cheek, "I like the idea of you as Superman. Batman has a utility belt; take that away and it becomes a weakness. But with Superman, if he's trapped in a sealed room made entirely out of kryptonite, he is helpless."

"So what are you saying, you're my kryptonite?"

"Exactly."

"..." Seto made a face.

"What?"

"That... was terrible. Not only are you a nag, but you're a corny one too."

"Haha... Yes, I've never been much good at telling jokes."

"I can see that."

"But there is truth to what I said about you."

"And I'm going to pretend you said nothing of the sort. In short, I'm ignoring you."

"Fair enough, haha..."

"...Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"What do you have to tell me, Seto? Anything at all?"

"Aside from work, and Mokuba, what do you want me to talk about?"

"Ask me something," Yami smiled, letting his fingers toy with the buttons of Seto's suit.

"... Like what"

"Anything."

"... What will happen after you uncover your memories?"

Yami froze. Curse Seto. He knew he was going to be asked that. This time, he was the one being allusive instead of Seto. He wanted to give an answer, but he had no words to grasp onto to speak. Seto analyzed the hesitation, and made a face himself, "You really don't know..."

"No. … No I don't... Seto...when I said anything, I didn't mean anything that related to what my destiny requires of me."

"That's part of what 'anything' implies. Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Because..." Yami caught himself before he said something he would later end up regretting. Neither of them knew for certain what would happen. But he couldn't help but feel further and further away from Seto the more he thought about it. Before he knew it, he was clutching at the suit quite tautly as he tried to stave off his inner conflicts. He did not want this uncovered tonight, not like this. He needed more time...just a bit more time. He was becoming just what Yūgi feared he would—stuck.

Of course, necessity screamed at him to tell Seto everything because he wanted to know. He may even have a way to help him. But Yami did not want to think such uncertain things at the moment. Although he has a feeling in the pit of his stomach that warned him Seto could indeed help, it was upto Yami with whether he believed that feeling or not. His mouth opened, then closed again. Then, with great reluctance he pushed the notion away and sighed, "Let's... not talk about this now."

"I need to know, Yami," Seto urged with a gentleness to his tone Yami had never heard before directed towards him. He was going to mention it but decided not to jinx such a rare, and soothing, occurrence into never happening again. Seto noticed the uncertainty of making a favorable volition in his other's behavior with a cool glint in his calculating hues. When Yami said nothing, Seto continued, "In all honesty, we both know the pods are a temporary escape. There will come a time when their imagery won't be enough and we are going to want and need more from the other. Not only that, but if the runt doesn't know you're using his body to see me almost every night, then his suspicion is going to rise quick if he finds out anything out of place. I don't know about you, but I don't want to carry on with this game for much longer..."

Yami's breath caught in his throat and his hands clenched into even tighter fists about the suit. Did Seto want to cut things off with him? No, he didn't mean that. He couldn't mean that. Seto was much too stubborn to admit defeat. But if that were true, why couldn't Yami dismiss the creeping fear of losing Seto licking at his spine?

"What... What are you saying then, Seto..."

"I'm saying... either we find a way to give you your own body... or _we_ find another way..."

"So... so you weren't thinking of just ending things between us?" he asked wide-eyed; his gems venturing back and forth between Seto's guarded hues trying to extract a direct answer. Nothing was given for a good few seconds while unspoken words were weighted—and the suspense was stifling. Finally, Seto imbued his thoughts, "I don't want to," he admitted simply. There was a deeper meaning and emotion attached to what he spoke, but its substance could not be clarified just yet. His chilling eyes regained their glimmer of acknowledgment towards Yami's gaze as they observed him, "...But, something has to give, Yami.."

Silence. Effected in ways he couldn't explain, Yami led his eyes elsewhere.

He was right. There was no alternative right now, there was nothing else to turn to, there was nothing else to face except the truth. Now, things had definitely gotten serious. And Yami was not ready to face all of it at once yet. He didn't want to think of what would happen if he had to leave Seto, although he was haunted by old thoughts he had before about if he and Seto had never happened in the first place. But he was too stubborn and selfish and just had to experience a sensual relationship with him anyway.

Maybe Yūgi had been trying to warn him all along with his loaded words of "innocent" question and concern. Maybe the little one could see more about his own glitched emotions than Yami could himself. Yet, he could not blame the little one for feeling distant towards Seto. Being dragged across the floor and thrown into someone's bed unwillingly was quite a scare.

The guilt started to gnaw away at him, but he kept his cool as best as he could. Seto watched Yami in intense subduedness and took mental notes of how much this ordeal was wrecking on him. Some "Superman" he turned out to be if all he could really do was observe and analyze. Not sure of what to actually do to break Yami out of his dejection, Seto somehow placed a hand on Yami's shoulder. He gave it a squeeze, forcing Yami to meet eyes with him. The last thing he needed was an emotional, distraught partner straddling him. However, his concern was genuine. He was just not entirely sure of the "right" and effective methods to showing that. When Yami shifted his darkened eyes to his, Seto gave a half-frown. It was the closest thing to a reassuring expression that he could manage to give right now, "Relax, all right? I'll think of something. I'm not letting you slip through my fingers regardless of how much you may want to try to escape from me."

"..." Yami had considered it, but whether he would actually do it was another story in itself.

"Just tell me when you planned to leave for Egypt. I'll call a Ishizu at some point and see if there is anything she can do," he suggested, placing his arms back atop the armrests of the chair.

Yami smiled weakly at this, but the emotion in his eyes didn't waver, "You'd risk calling some 'hocus pocus mind trick' woman just to gain a possible solution for me? That's big of you."

"This isn't just for you. It's for us. And I'm going to make sure we work, with or without your support."

Yami quirked an interested brow at this. Seto using words like "your" and "support" in the same sentence, one following the other? What was this world coming to so suddenly? "Seto, there is no 'I' in 'team'. You don't have to do this alone."

"There may not be an 'I', but there is a 'me' and I am not letting you get away from me," he finalized; his eyes dazzling with a harsh determination. The intensity of the expression caught Yami unexpectedly. He had never seen Seto so grimly unpretentious before. This was a side of him that had gone far beyond the border of his usual somberness or even showing fear whenever Mokuba's life was threatened. A thread of thought tethered through Yami's thoughts. Was this the look Seto gained when serious matters dealt with him? The regal entity felt drawn to such a solemn look, and at the same time, he felt compelled to soothe it.

"Seto?" he breathed; his fingertips hesitantly inching higher towards the knot of Seto's tie. He wanted to stroke Seto's face; to disperse that complex look with cherishing touches of concern. But instead he stopped shy of making any contact with Seto's skin. Yami knew Seto wasn't too fond of being touched unless he was initiating his himself. Even with that known, it made the position they were in even more of a huge realization in something Seto wouldn't dare say directly. Yet. Instead, he voiced them in a different way, "You've already messed up my head once. If I lose you, I lose myself." However, Yami didn't quite understand that one.

"...Seto...?"

"I want to go with you whenever you decide to leave the country or wherever you have to go to find out what you feel is important. I don't care for it, but if it'll get you to stop worrying about it so I don't have to see you moping around me like some sick animal, then go and do it. But I'm keeping my eyes on you when you choose to do it. You are not leaving my sight, you got that?"

"Where is all this coming from?"

Seto's eyes twitched with a secretive emotion, but his lips remained solemn and dissatisfied,"...Maybe I've just lost it... Or..." he trailed off; his frigid hues flickering between Yami's warm opals. Seto's unspoken confession was clear and crisp as diamond and Yami felt his features soften from the display. This side of Seto was even rarer than the last. It was true that Yami could usually always see straight through the firm scowls and cold stares directly to the core of Seto's emotions, even if he couldn't label those particular emotions at the time. Yami always knew there was more to Seto than he allowed others to see—others, not him. Yami understood fully now what Seto was trying to say, even though he himself had difficulty finding a name for these awkward emotions. But getting a label for them was soon becoming secondary as the desire to act out the descriptions of those feelings cried out to him.

Yami's brows knit together as sincerity and understanding marked his beautiful face, "...Seto...you..."

"Don't say it," he warned, "I've gone mad, and that's the end of it."

"...Very well..." Yami nodded gingerly with a gentle smile.

The budding glimmer of approaching daybreak crackled through the sky in multicolored zig-zags of clouds and tints. Lucid drops of the sunrise mingled in Yami's eyes, enhancing the remarkable emotion that already lingered there and reflecting into Seto's like a mirror. They didn't have to say a word. Their bodies moved of their own accord and the gap between them ceased to exist as their noses met. In the place of a kiss, their lips touched and whispered over the other; utterances of their names becoming breathy declarations amongst their skin. Yami's arms snaked around Seto's back and he hugged him dearly. Seto's arms remained atop the armrests, unmoving. But his hands were curled into fists and his nails dug into the fabric of the chair. He wanted to pull Yami into a kiss, and was battling with the lust to do so. Especially after a "confession" like that.

Tenderly, Yami withdrew from his embrace and placed his hands to Seto's chest to observe him. A dark look washed over Seto's features as he stared wordlessly at Yami. The desire he felt was impossible to be unseen and Yami understood. The two of them watched the other, neither making a move. Minutes passed between them while they silently conversed through their eyes alone; speaking on everything and nothing all at once. Then, without warning, Seto made a move to stand and Yami laced his arms around Seto's neck. He held on tightly and allowed Seto to clutch the underside of his thighs, keeping Yami at a hover. This lasted only for a few seconds before Seto placed the lithe male atop his desk and laid him on his back. Yami's legs instinctively wrapped around Seto's waist; his arms still around his neck. His bangs trickled around him atop the desk like threads of silk; the rest of it veiling the wood with its ebony. Seto rested his hands atop the desk for balance as he leaned down and pressed his lips to Yami's forehead. He didn't understand why he was doing this. He wasn't even sure about what he was doing. All that was his concern at this moment was...

"...Yami..."

"Yes, Seto?" he breathed.

"What have you done to me..."

"... Seto...?"

"...Yami..."

Their lips brushed once more, for a brief second before Seto began to pull away. But Yami wasn't having it. Tensing his body, he forced Seto back down and clawed at a tuft of his hair while seizing his mouth with his own. The instant moment of contact made Seto throw any restraint for that moment out the window and he drew an arm under Yami's back and ran a hand through Yami's hair; gripping it harshly. A deep sound wafted from Yami that caused his kisses to become faster, fuller and abundant with frantic tongue. Apparently for these two, actual kisses were not enough. Seto moved his hands from atop the desk and gripped Yami at the waist. There, he tapped his hips against Yami's and rolled them sensuously; possessively. A puzzled moan passed betwixt Yami's lips from the sensation and his body automatically retaliated with the same. Curse his dislike of wearing any type of underwear. Although their little grinding session was mild, Yami could feel everything to its fullest... And he craved more of it. He arched his back and ground his clothed hardness against Seto's and moaned erotically from the contact. A hum of acceptance rippled from Seto and he thrust roughly against Yami as if there were no boundaries between them.

"Mm-" Yami mewled, trying to find a way through their needy kisses to utter Seto's name. He could recall a certain blue-eyed individual who said he wasn't interested in having sex with Yūgi's body. Seto became wise to the trail of thought and positioned his hips at a specific spot between Yami's legs just to spite him. But he did mean what he said. Soon, the battle between their mouths intensified and reclaimed its place as their initial focus.

After heated minutes of their oral duel, the two of them broke for oxygen, but continued to hold the other tightly. The brightness of the new morning spilled over their forms, casting them in warm orangey glows.

"Seto.." Yami murmured, his voice muffled from his face pressed against Seto's chest.

"I am not letting you leave. I won't have it..." Seto muttered through grit teeth. Astonished, Yami opened his eyes and trailed them upto Seto's chin. As he did, the collar of Seto's dress shirt had been tugged down a bit from all the movement they created that gave Yami a better view of his neck. As he eyed it, he noticed a darkish mark there he had never seen before. It almost looked as if Seto had been bitten or struck there with something. He was about to question Seto about it when the warmth of the taller male extracted from him completely as he pulled away. Stumbling a bit, Seto went behind his chair, with his back to Yami, and ran a hesitant hand through his locks. His other hand was hidden from view, but Yami assumed it was near a pocket. Curious, Yami sat up, "Seto?"

The taller didn't answer him. Instead, he placed some sort of device to his ear, and Yami felt a pang of jealousy stream through him when he heard the sound of Seto's voice address someone else other than him.

"What," Seto barked, holding a secondary cell phone he used for work unpleasantly to his ear. The morning just only appeared and already he had to prepare to get back down to business, "... Fine... Tell them to be ready in an hour and no sooner than that."

Although he deduced it was a business call, Yami couldn't help but feel pushed to the side from the abrupt way Seto left him. Disturbed, Yami almost hopped off the desk and took his leave. He gathered that Seto was going to have another meeting to attend to soon anyway. What did he need to be there for? And on top of that, he needed to get some kind of sleep for Yūgi before the younger awakened. Without bothering to wait for Seto, Yami slid off the desk and walked upto his significant other. The moment he moved close to him, Seto darted his attention to the succulent male and the other party on the other end of the phone became unimportant within that same second. Yami eyed him intently; his expression caught between a glare and a look of understanding, "I'm leaving. You have work to do, right?"

Seto just stared at him, not knowing what to say or what to do. But he did know that he wasn't too fond of being on this end of the spectrum. It seemed too much like a breakup. In closing, he said a few more words to the person on the phone, then hung up. He tossed the phone on the desk, not caring where it landed, and returned his now undivided attention to Yami. Discreetly, Seto nodded, "Of course I do... This is my office," he spoke; unable to refrain from using any aloof sarcasm, even at a tense time like this.

Yami eyed him with a devoid expression, "Should I call you tonight?"

"... Only if you want..."

"What's this? No definite answer from you?"

"No."

"I suppose I'll go with that. All right, Seto. I will visit you another time."

"Uh huh."

"Right..." Yami affirmed, turning on his heels. He didn't walk away right then at that moment. He honestly half expected to be snatched away by Seto again since he had gotten into the habit of randomly grabbing him by the arm when he wanted to leave. Only this time, it didn't happen. Yami about-faced, and any words he may have formed ceased on his tongue. Seto's eyes appeared more glossed than usual. The second Seto realized his emotions were evident, he led his eyes elsewhere transiently. Then, ultimately, he turned his back to Yami, "You can leave now," he stated plainly.

"Seto?"

"Don't ask. I'm fine. Worry about yourself," he warned. Then he faced Yami; the glow of the morning intensifying his stern aquatic orbs, "But don't you dare make a major decision without me being there with you. Got it?"

"I understand..."

"..."

"And Seto..."

"What"

"Thank you," Yami smiled lightly. Although it was a faint expression, its genuineness shone through and made Seto's eyes widen. With a soft scoff, he closed his eyes for a moment, then returned his invigorated sapphires to Yami, "Now, get out of here."

"I will," Yami chuckled, and agreeably took his leave.

OoO

ARGH! This chapter was supposed to be longer too with at least 2 more scenes. GRARGH! Oh well...

I guess it's safe to say you guys'll be rewarded next chapter.

Um.. here's a small snippet of what's to come in the next chapter:

"_Seto had become determined to have Yami climax at least three times each day. Their sessions ranged from hot and feverish to rough and desperate. But after each one, the both of them left very very satisfied. There were times when they allowed a few kisses to slip outside of the pods, but that usually led to them venturing right back in for another lively romp in virtual reality."_

Wheeee

Oh yeah

**ooc!**

Yami: I am entering the room like a succubus... tell me Seto, who does that remind you of?

Seto: Some vampire slut who enjoys fighting, sucking, and playing video games of whom I don't care about.

Yami: SOUL FIST!

Yami: Seto, you're Batman again

Seto: Whatever

Yami: Wait no! You're Superman too!

Seto: Don't you dare call me the Batman and Superman Adventures

Yami: Seto, you're the Superman and Batman-oh fluff nevermind. How about the NEW Adventures of-

Seto: ...Can't you just kiss me already?

Yami: Oh yeah *kisses*

Seto: YOU TOTALLY BROKE YOUR WORD TO THAT RUNT!

Yami: I DID NOT!...that much...

Seto: Then why are you sulking?

Yami: *sulk sulk*

Seto: Don't straddle me if you're gonna have your period

Yami: EWWLLL! Don't say things like that!

Seto: … … Since you can't make up your mind, I'm forced to contact an Ishizu on this matter. Eventually. Look what you did.

Yami: Don't get any ideas...

Seto: Why don't you stay within the chapter's plot. Thank you. Anyway, being with you has effected me more than I thought...

Yami: Are you falling in love with me?

Seto: … …

Yami: … …?

Seto: Who are you again?

Yami: I'M GONNA KISS YOU AGAIN

Seto and Yami: *kiss again*

Seto and Yami: *engage in frottage*

Yami: DOOD! What is that bruise-like mark on your NECK?

Seto: I have a phone call, so I'm gonna need you to get out n stuff *showing some emotion*

Yami: Is that a hickey?

Seto: ...You should know if you're the one who gave me whatever-this-mark-is-that-isn't-supposed-to-be-explained-until-later-chapters-or-so. Since you're the succubus whose-body-drank-in-the-ebony-of-the-night.

Yami: I am not a vampire slut!

Yami: Who enjoys fighting

Yami: Or sucking ...souls

Yami: ...But I'm fine with the video games.

Seto: Are we done here yet?

Yūgi: I had a cameo mentioning!

Seto: Who cares.

Yūgi: *whimper*

Yami: NEXT CHAPTER PLEEZ!

ooc!

Yeah... for the majority of this chapter, I listened to Morrigan's MVC3 theme on loop... I was apparently really feeling it in the first paragraph haha.

To be continued

-Mel


	7. And Deeply

_**A/N: Triple lemon alert! Sort of! (Warning! Uke-Seto in one scene by request!)**_

_**A/N: Also, this chapter has a VERY SILLY AND STUPIDLY GOOFY scene in it. (And yes, Moon-tan, it is the result of my ultra hyper-ness that one night weeks ago lol) Also! WARNING! DRAG-DRESSING ALERT FOR COMEDIC PURPOSES ONLY! But you know what, I wanted to write it, the entire silly, goofiness that ensues, so THERE! If you happen to not like it, you can skip to the smex part after it, if you so desire.**_

_**A/N: Big HUGE special thanx to Moon-tan, Gracie and Lauren! ~_^**_

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 7...i think

OoO

Weeks passed. Mokuba had tried calling his big brother a few instances, but he ended up having to leave messages most of the time. Seto had become very busy with practically full day meetings for 2 weeks straight. He still had nights free, or more so, nights that he chose not to do any work so he could spend time with Yami. Since there wasn't too much they could do in the office, he would have them taken to the secluded house where the pods were. There they had many an encounter; one after another in the same night, but taking a an hour or two to rest. Then, they returned to their fantasy world again. Seto had become determined to have Yami climax at least three times each night. Their sessions ranged from hot and feverish to rough and desperate. But after each one, the both of them left very _very_ satisfied– as satisfied as one could be in a fantasy setting. They were both aware that nothing they did within the pods was a substitute for the real thing; real touches and real kisses. There were times when they did allow a few kisses to slip outside of the devices, but that usually led to them venturing right back in for another lively romp in virtual reality.

OoO

"Seto, I told you I'm not very fond of heights!" a cautious Yami warned over his shoulder. His expression was one of concern; his eyes flourishing with trust towards his significant other. In response, Seto made an amused sound; the alluring grin he wore only intensified as he observed at Yami. His fingers traveled down the backside of the former ruler's nude body and tickled over the taut curve of his bottom. Yami shivered a bit from the contact, but didn't discourage it. The worse thing he did was give Seto a mild embarrassed expression. The blush on his face was faint, but his expressive glossed eyes told all. He was accepting of what Seto was willing to give him. And Seto was more than willing to posses what was rightfully his.

The two of them had taken their simulated "adventure" to a ferris wheel in Kaiba Land in the highest car. Needless to say, the ride had stopped with them "stuck" at the very top. Why not take advantage of that? Of course, them being the only ones there didn't hinder the excitement of their exploits in the least. They were both on their knees in the car with Seto behind Yami. The lithe male's pants were expelled from him as soon as they reached the very top and he was pressed against the window.

"Relax," Seto encouraged plainly, gliding two fingers downward, ultimately causing Yami to gasp from the anticipations that were about to occur. With slow, agonizing amounts of teasing, Seto prepped Yami to be filled to the hilt. Whispering shudders and quivering moans cascaded from Yami and he shut his eyes. His palms were pressed against the glass of the window in the car and his nails clawed at its surface. Seto started his ministrations slowly to adjust himself being within the velvety walls that conformed to only him. They had just begun and already Yami's breaths were beginning to deepen as the stroke of Seto's prize within him made him feel nothing short of ambrosial.

OoO

Although it had nearly been a month since they initiated their sensual encounters, the sex still felt relatively new to Yami. "New", in the sense of it giving the illusion of being a fresh experience–one he never grew tired of in any way. It was an encounter he enjoyed thoroughly because of who it was with. It also worked wonders for helping him further push his fears and concerns to the recesses of his mind so he would not have to focus on them right away. It allowed him to focus on what _he_ wanted; what_ he_ needed. Being inside the pods with Seto gave Yami a false sense of freedom and infinite time to do whatever he wanted and be with the one he held high respect and care for. Perhaps something more than that. Whatever it was, it was appealingly mutual.

OoO

"Care to explain to me why you chose this as a location, Seto?" Yami fussed while trying to find a comfortable spot in the Blue Eyes jet. Even while he complained, he was determined to find a decent way to rest on his knees in front of Seto, who was lounging casually in the passenger's seat in the back of the jet. In comparison to the vast former locales Seto had envisioned for them to spend time together in, for the jet setting all that really surrounded them was the midday sun and its deep shadows stretching along the concrete.

His calculating eyes rested upon Yami's moving form; taking note of the frustrated pinch of his face while he toiled about. There really was a simple solution to his dilemma, but Seto wasn't going to just hand it to him unless it was asked for. In short, he was indulging in Yami's frustration rather willfully, "If it's that uncomfortable, we could always move to the pilot's seat..."

Yami paused in a cramped spot near the left back corner that caused him to be hunched over right next to a nonchalant Seto's crossed legs. There was simply not enough room in this contraption for the both of them! He made a terse grunt in response, "With the steering wheel in the way? You can't be serious!"

"I am serious..."

"And why on Earth would you suggest that?"

Seto smiled deviously in a way that amplified the glimmer in his cool eyes, "Just to piss you off."

"And would you mind moving your legs so I can get a better position? They're blocking my way...!" Yami retorted, pushing at the one closest to him with the back of his arm. Seto scoffed in his throat, "Finally, you decided to ask. Here..." he offered, slouching in the seat slightly to be able to lift and prop his legs atop the pilot's seat in front of him. From doing this, Yami was given more room to move around and slipped smoothly between Seto's legs. As he sank to his knees, Seto brought his long legs back down and spread them widely. Now able to do what he wanted, Yami unraveled the clasps about Seto's slacks and fished out his length without removing his pants. "You know, Seto," Yami spoke, sliding a curled hand around Seto's size gingerly and passing his lips over its tip, "for someone who wanted this, you certainly gave me a difficult time..."

"...Thank you for not speaking a ridiculous pun..." Seto drawled flatly; his eyes closed.

"And what 'pun' would that be?" Yami smirked faintly while keeping his eyes on the man before him; the tactility of his words over Seto's flesh causing him to breathe a sound. When no verbal answer was given, Yami sent his tongue over the swollen head with two long licks.

"Nfph..." Seto murmured; clutching at the rimmed edges of the passenger seat. He could clearly feel the glide of Yami's tongue as it slithered down his shaft in an aimless pattern, then just as quickly crept its way back up. A breathy sound of approval wavered from Seto from the foreplay. Just as Yami's actions started to etch blissful finesse along Seto's size, it all came to a cease. Immediately, Seto's eyes shot open to observe a curious looking Yami just staring at him. The taller male blinked and didn't realize the concerned tone in his voice until after he spoke, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Yami didn't respond right away. Instead, he lightly raked his nails along the thick flesh he held in a sort of curious fascination towards something, "I..."

"What?"

"I... never noticed you had dimples, Seto..." Yami uttered almost dumbfoundedly he sounded so dubious, "They look a little strange on you, but I do like them." The answer caught Seto entirely off guard and his eyes widened in disbelief. And here he thought something was wrong! Gradually, he lowered his lids to half-mast and drew a firm hand behind Yami's head.

"Seto, what are you-"

"Suck," he ordered emotionlessly and brought Yami's head down to continue the job he started.

OoO

Another week went by. Yūgi still had no idea of Yami's late nights/early mornings at Seto's, nor of the phone calls. Yami hated keeping such things away from hims Aibou, but in that same token, this was his life. He had to be selfish sometimes–the only drawback on that was that he was still using Yūgi's body to experience all these things. Frankly, he was growing tired of it, but he loved his Aibou like a brother and it would hurt him to see his heart broken from hearing the truth. But, same as always, if Yūgi asked Yami, he would tell him...

OoO

"Wow. Seto, I am amazed," Yami's smooth vocals praised. The two of them had taken their virtual trepidation to the setting of on-board the Duel Disk blimp. Every detail of the genuine article was kept intact through their memories and Kaiba's materialized thoughts. Even the rich glow of the sun as it began its descent into dusk was vividly showcased; its brilliance playing about the entranced hue of Yami's eyes. "You managed to program all of this into this system? The view is breathtaking..."

"It's just there for decoration...and it's distracting you from me..." Seto scowled with the attitude of a child who was not having his way.

"Nonsense. Don't be jealous of nature, Seto," Yami smirked back, gazing at his other over his shoulder. A soft, and rather inviting, line of sun glazed over the outline of Yami's form, giving the mystical male an astonishing aura that made Seto hold his breath. But instead of fully exposing how taken he was by the glorious sight, his features remained unreadable and he crossed his arms over his chest.

The dashing CEO was lightly dressed today compared to his usual fancy outfits, and didn't seem to care to change his appearance once he and Yami entered the pods that night. A simple cotton turtleneck graced his body and was tucked neatly into fitting slacks as dark as onyx. The stark contrast enhanced the cool of his eyes and the sheen of his mahogany tresses in a way that promoted his usual stunning looks to those of a stoic god. Yami's choice of wear hadn't differed much from what he wore several nights before: a simple sleeveless top and tight pants. Seto knew he wasn't really one to complain, but he wished Yami would spice up his wardrobe a bit. With this in mind, his thoughts began to wander a bit, but he kept his attention on the enchanting male a few feet before him.

"I'm not jealous. And it's not nature. It's just a hologram."

"A rather intricate one," Yami added, giving Seto a wistful look that could only have been obtained through dear and fond times spent with each other, before returning his eyes to the scenery. As the former ruler continued to present his musings to a half-interested Seto, the attractive male had to keep himself occupied before he ultimately tuned Yami out.

So he continued to allow his mind to wander and did so on the topic of Yami in different clothing. Seto wondered what Yami would look like in something more exquisite that was more suitable towards his finer tastes in quality clothing. The second he imagined it, Yami's current wear dissolved into the crisp and expensive looking silk of a black dress shirt and matching slacks. Although Seto had told Yami before that he didn't think silk would look very good on him, since he had the opportunity now, he figured he'd play with the idea himself and witness the results firsthand. Yami's designer shoes transformed into sleek ones of a higher classed dress and reflected the gloss of the sunlight in pure celestial elegance. Yami was not aware of any of this; his focus was still on the holographic horizon, still chatting away.

Seto found himself giving grunts and noncommittal sounds at all the right corners of Yami's one-sided conversation automatically even though he hadn't heard more than half of it. He instead was observing how classy Yami looked in the new ensemble. But regardless of how poised and polished he appeared from behind, the look was not true to his personality, in Seto's eyes. Gradually, the comely outfit began to fade and a new one took its place. Seto's mind was beginning to drift even more as this particular set of clothing began to materialize over Yami's lithe body. A taut pink suit-coat, laced with white trim, took the place of the ebony shirt. A large, ruffled blue bow appeared in the front; its glossy edges easily seen over Yami's slender shoulders. The dark pants soon became absent from his legs. Instead of leather, jeans, or slacks, a thin fabric of pleated ceil breezed over Yami's thighs and two ethereal strips of ivory cotton ran down his calves and disappeared into brown short heeled loafers.

After the outfit had completed, Seto nearly had to do a double take from the outcome. So he goes from dressing Yami in expensive top quality clothing to dressing him in drag? The thought seemed sickening to Seto at first and he made a face. This was a lesson to him that his drifting thoughts could be quite wince worthy and dangerous! But, in Seto's defense, since Yami was prattling on and on about nothing like some kind of schoolgirl, Seto's "perilous" thoughts had decided to secretly make him dressed like one. And since Yami's legs were exposed more than usual, and despite himself, Seto couldn't help but give them a good look with a tilt of his head. Maybe letting his mind wander wasn't such a bad thing. He couldn't wait to see the shock on Yami's face when he saw what was done to him without him realizing. The hint of a devilish grin tugged at Seto's lips. Oh, he was going to have much fun with this.

"Sunset always is beautiful in its descent, but I prefer dusk," Yami continued, blissfully unaware of his changing uniform, "I always thought this city looked its best under the drape of the night...the sky alight with the whisper of stars and- why do my arms and legs feel so strangely heavy...?" Yami questioned the last part more so to himself than Seto as he tore his eyes away from the window to inspect his weighted appendages. The blue armored armbands were a shock to his eyes and he winced, not expecting to see them nor knowing where they came from. His breath hitched in his throat and he blinked suspiciously; he knew he had seen that familiar design somewhere before! "That's strange," he uttered, trying to contain the weight of his surprise, "When did my appearance change so dras-" the words froze immediately on his tongue as he looked down. His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open in a gape.

He was now dressed in something far more worse than the female school uniform he didn't see before. The second his eyes trailed over the rippling pink pleats above his bared calves and thighs, his face drained completely of all color. He was wearing Dark Magician Girl's outfit! Earring and all, save for the helmet and the wand! And the sight was appalling! Appalling to the wearer anyway since he hadn't ever worn a woman's clothing in his life that he was aware of. He was positive that _he_ didn't knowingly put on or imagine himself in such an outlandish and revealing outfit, so how could it have happened?

All was answered to him when the sudden rumbling outburst of Seto's haughty laughter settled in his ears and bounced around the room. Yami hesitantly gazed over to Seto with an expression of uncertainty and humiliation swimming in his warm eyes.,"Seto?" he questioned quietly, not sure whether to feel violated or vengeful. When all he continued to be met with was more roaring laughter, Yami balled his hands into fists and his eyes darkened an octave. "Seto... what have you done with my clothing..." he demanded in a forcefully controlled voice. Needless to say, Seto wasn't fazed in the least, "What does it look like? I changed it! Hahahahahaha!"

"Yes, but why...?"

"HAHAHA!"

"…. Nevermind, I will change it back!"

"You can't," Seto grinned, shaking his head; stray strands of hair falling about his face in detailed ways that covered part of one eye.

"And why _not_..." Yami nearly spat the last word as if it were taboo to speak it. In-between chortles, Seto gazed at Yami with a priggish expression that made his icy eyes to shimmer in triumph, "Because, only one of us can manipulate what is going on around us in here at a time. For example, take the sunset. I imagined that. If you had thought of nightfall occurring instead in place of it, only my thoughts would go through as a true variable."

"What does this have to do with what I am _wearing..._" Yami glared.

"Haven't you figured it out? Since I was the one who imagined your clothes changing, you can't change them to anything else. Only I can. I implicated that kind of system in here to avoid glitches and risk having everything I worked for breaking into useless code. To be blunt, you're stuck that way until I decide to change it."

"Really, now..."

"I didn't stutter, did I?"

"Very well, Seto, I understand," Yami concluded in a huff and brief nod. He did indeed understand. He understood very well. The next thing Seto knew, his body started to felt rather tight around his chest and waist. Glancing down, a scowl graced his face and a string of curses tumbled from his mouth at what he saw and he wasn't too pleased with it one bit. Now Seto was the one in the female uniform; frilly bow and pleated skirt included! And from the snickers Yami was sporting, the garb didn't seem very fond of its new wearer. In fact, the entire outfit looked awful on Seto's slightly wider build and the knee-socks definitely were not doing him any justice nor favors. And Yami could not have found anything funnier than this and the abhor on Seto's face right now.

"That... isn't... funny...!" Seto seethed with acidity tipping his words. But Yami ignored his empty warning and continued to bellow his humor, "Ha! Not much fun now is it when the tables have turned, is it, Seto? How hypocritical of you! I mean, apparently, according to you, dressing another man in a female's attire is amusing to you! Why aren't you laughing? Oh I forgot something!" Yami snickered. Just as he formed the image in his mind, Seto's short locks started to grow longer and longer until the very ends of it reached his collarbone, "There. Now you REALLY look like a woman! I should probably start calling you Setina!"

"You little-" Seto trailed off through grit teeth. He would have ripped that accused uniform from his own body if he could. The sound of Yami's hearty laughter was enough to irk him for all eternity. He wanted to best Yami and prove anything of his, whim or otherwise, would prove infinitesimal in comparison. While Yami was consumed by his laughter, his amusement was abruptly halted by the sudden cold, wet sting of 5 gallons of icy water being dumped on top of him. He immediately hugged his arms over his chest for warmth and glared upwards above his head. A, now emptied, pail hovered above his head then dissipated into nothingness after its use had been fulfilled. A bellowing laugh, courtesy of Kaiba, pierced the room and each echoing second of it caused Yami's frown to grow even deeper, "That isn't funny, Seto!" he shot back hotly while he hopped around on one foot, then the other while vigorously rubbing his arms to get warm. Of course, the pink banner-like material above his thighs clung to his bare legs, causing him to feel colder than he actually was.

"Hahahaha! Oh, but isn't it? Why aren't YOU laughing, now, Yami? Huh? Well? Look how the tables have turned, now! FUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" Seto guffawed; hands placed arrogantly on his haunches and his head thrown back. The lacy bow and the pleats of the skirt jiggled in response to the epic laughter that thrived in his chest.

"^$&$sbhJHSBD^$#!" Yami swore in an unfamiliar tongue that sounded a lot like gibberish; his anger and humiliation continuing to rise. He had to get Seto back for this! He would get Seto thoroughly back for this if it was the last thing he would do! With vigor raging in his eyes, he thrust an accusing finger towards Seto; his over arm still uselessly trying to warm his upper body, "This ends now!" Yami warned; his stern tone belying the cocky grin forming across his moistened lips. He didn't speak what he was planning, but he didn't have to. The second he thought of what wicked deed to fall upon Kaiba, it's emergence gradually took form. Feeling a tingling sensation at his ears and above his bottom, Seto's eyes narrowed and he glowered at Yami, "What are you thinking...!"

The smug expression didn't leave the former ruler's face and pleasantly he watched the fluffy pair of pointed fox ears unfold themselves atop either side of Seto's head and the bushy tail that swished from beneath his skirt. Not only was Seto in a girl's school uniform, and had longer hair, but he now also had a kinky, foxy ensemble as well to go with it! Needless to say, the scowling, fuming Seto Kaiba looked quite ridiculous. And it was a rare sight that Yami could not stop chortling about. All the while, Seto clenched his fists and looked as if he was going to forcefully and literally slap the cheer off Yami's face. Angrily, his new tail flickered behind him in agreement, "I don't appreciate you turning me into a half furry, Yami..." he practically growled through tightly clenched teeth.

"And why not, Seto? The ears and tail look rather fitting on you. Don't break any hearts in school, now..." Yami jeered in a way that was very similar to that of smearing salt into a fresh open wound.

Kaiba was about to speak, but held his tongue. His ears twitched to and fro as if he were picking up on something only he could sense and gave a toothy half-smile,"... Oh I'll break something, all right..." he ensured; his indigo eyes becoming glossed with vengeful malevolence as he narrowed them at Yami.

"Hmm?" Yami questioned. Then he started to feel a tickle at his own ears, as well as another tickling sensation surfacing from his covered backside. His hands went up to cup his ears, but such a minor action wasn't enough to halt the sleek black kitty ears that had now formed and easily slipped through his fingers. And just like Seto, he grew a long, but thin, black tail that curled and swayed in its emergence. A gasp sparked from him and he gazed down at himself; his expression that of utter shock and partial mortification. "$WGD*&^%!" Yami swore in incoherent gibberish yet again.

"What do you have to say to that, huh?"

"You... turned me into a cat?"

"And I'll make you start meowing like one if you don't remove these sick fetish rejects from me," Seto announced. A pause settled in and he lifted a few fingers beneath his newly acquired lengthy locks, "...and get rid of this hair..." he concluded, unconsciously whisking the tresses over his shoulder with a slight movement of his wrist and then shaking his head. Although it was an absent-minded gesture, Yami took it as an insult.

"...I...I can't believe you...! That you did this …. to me...!"

"What's that? Speak up, I can't hear your defeat very well..."

"You will pay dearly for this, Seto..."

"Haha! Try me."

"I will!" Yami exclaimed; his eyes full of fire. With a prompt point to the side of him, he smirked darkly, then called out his secret weapon, "JOEY!"

"Hmm?" Kaiba quirked a bored brow and turned in the direction Yami pointed. There was a fizzle and pop of data as the outline of Joey's form started to appear, but in place of his distinguishing features, and detailed appearance, were just flickering values of zeros and ones passing through in infinite linear rows. Yami stared at the display in awe and Seto smiled arrogantly, "You look surprised," he shrugged, "Sure, I programmed that mutt in, but I left him unfinished on purpose."

"...You actually programed him in?"

"Partially. In short, he's a glitch," he grinned widely.

"*$4HADgEW%#%$#..." Yami swore, then another idea hit him. Invigorated with his new idea, his ears bounced a bit, then he pointed at Seto and shouted, "ODEN!"

"What?" Seto scowled and barely had time to uncross his arms before a large basin of his most despised food was dumped atop his head and splashed all over his body. Yami was even "nice" enough to make sure it was nice and hot too...with extra boiled eggs and extra extra squid. A slew of unidentifiable growls flew from Seto and he clenched his fists tautly. His fox tail swished violently in agitation as his tolerance was quickly starting to diminish. In spite of his significant other, Yami laughed; his humor almost sounding strained, as if he didn't want things to come this far, but he would have been willing to do more if need be. "Seto...?"

"... ….. ..." He just stood there, dripping wet and wallowing in the spilled contents, as well as his building anger. But Yami just kept going.

"? What's the matter? Should I have added more broth for you? Hahaha..."

Seto was furious but his mind was racing too fast to settle on a solid thought. He wished Yami would just shut his annoying pie-hole already! In the next second, Yami's laughter was abruptly severed when the creaminess of a fluffy pastry hit him square in the face. In his moment of surprise, he accidentally consumed some of the treat, then thrust the entirety of it to the floor. Seto's laughter roared success in a way that made Yami's last stunt seem elementary.

"Sppfftt!" Yami sputtered, fighting with the whipped remains of the pie, lemon meringue pie, with his hands and trying to lick the rest off. His fiery eyes glared daggers at Seto; a grim foreshadow to the dark smile that began to slither across his lips,"Forgive me, Seto... For not laughing as hard as you are..."

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Seto bellowed, the hem of his skirt fluttering wildly from how quickly his tail moved about behind him. "I finally have you beat and that was a complete whim! There is nothing you can do to me to top that!"

Yami continued to smile; his ears twitching and his tail coiling into random round shapes around him. Stealthily, he curled it around Seto's naked thigh then moved it upwards. This caught Seto's attention immediately and he ceased in his laughing to gaze down at Yami with a curt expression.

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work!"

"Who said I was planning anything? What, is your birthday coming up?"

"No. And what does-"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Yami vociferated, slapping Seto in the face with a 3 tier cake that he seemed to pull out of nowhere.

"%$^MCI!" Seto snarled, grasping large chunks of the dessert in his fists and squeezing it into oblivion. While he swore and bothered with removing the cake and icing from his face, he threw a piece of it at Yami's location. Only Yami was no longer there. After he cleared off enough of the cake to allow himself proper vision, he spun around; ultimately meeting eyes with Yami. The same Yami who was on his way to cautiously sneaking out the door undetected. And he almost succeeded getting past without Seto catching on. But so much for that now! He had been caught! Silence passed between them for about a minute. Their bodies remained still; only their tails wavering predatorily from side to side, daring the other to make a move. Boldly, Yami cracked a smirk, and within the next second, he was sprinting away from the doorway and down the blimp's corridor with a disgruntled, but strangely amused Seto, making chase after him.

Yami somehow managed to keep a fair amount of distance between him and Seto with his shorter legs while they dashed down the hallways. They breezed through corridors, rounded bends and flew down small flights of stairs. On the bottom level of the blimp's gondola, the pair passed by a series of outstretched, and intricately prepared, dining tables. Every other few seconds, Yami would glance behind him to see how much Seto was gaining on him. The fifth time he did so, he was glad he did and had to make a quick dodge. A flying plate would have hit him squarely upside the back of his spiky head if he hadn't moved out of the projectile's way. "Are you INSANE!" Yami shouted over his shoulder to Seto, who had scooped up 4 more plates and began tossing them.

"What do you THINK? Stop moving so I can HIT you!"

Yami swore under his breath, barely was able to dodge the rest of them. And since he wasn't going to be able to put up much of a retaliation by running and dodging, he decided to return fire with more pieces of tableware. The two of them childishly tossed various types of tableware at the other in weak and foolish attempts to slow the other down. Needless to say, they both were terribly failing. Plates, cups, and bowls were scattered and smashed against the walls and floor around them. While Seto was actually trying to hit Yami, most of the time while also missing his target on purpose, the former ruler just had an awful aim. After Yami threw the 5th teacup in Seto's direction, he miscalculated his turn into the approaching hallway and tripped over his own feet. A grunt left him as he collided into the wall, hands first, to brace himself. Within the moment he stood and turned around, Seto was right on top of him, pinning him in place with his large hands clasped atop Yami's shoulders.

Ragged pants fluttered between them as they caught their breath. Their glossed eyes entwined in the depths of the others'. While they both could agree that this little escapade of theirs had "schoolyard" written all over it, the thrill it weaved inside of them was well received; evidence of it dancing in their dazzling eyes.

"Don't think you've won, Seto," Yami panted, keeping his eyes deep within Seto's, "You can't keep me here like this."

"Isn't it a bit difficult to make threats and demands when your back is against the wall? ...In the most literal sense."

"And?"

"And I'm much taller than you. Gravity says the one with the most leverage wins."

"Oh? Challenging words coming from a guy wearing a skirt..."

Seto bristled immediately and clenched his teeth. He was more than ready to show Yami just how much he hated being dressed this way and made fun of in it with his own two hands. But instead of strangling the heck out of his spiteful significant other, Seto decided to threaten him with something far more baleful. His eyes darkened and an unreadable curve at his lips cast his features in a conniving light, "Keep this up, and I'll bring back something you hate, Yami."

"What?" Yami blinked, already starting to feel a sick vibe churn in his stomach. He didn't like the sound of that, nor the look on Seto's face one bit...and the ears only heightened the deception it carried. But in contrast to that, he found it interesting that Seto actually warned him beforehand instead of instantly imagining whatever it was he was insisting on bringing forth. Seto had become aware of the thread of Yami's train of thought by reading the emotion in his eyes alone. But he spoke nothing of his cautiousness and continued with his warning threat, "Don't make me think of 'them' again..." Seto jeered, loosening his grip just a bit. Instantly Yami knew what, and who, Seto was referring to and pushed the man away from him, "You wouldn't-!"

"I would..."

And Seto meant it. He was prepared to conjure his replicated harem of Yamis again, right in front of the original if pushed far enough. Granted, him doing so was only to manipulate a reaction from Yami. He had no intention of crossing that line, with Yami right in front of him anyway, again. So far, it seemed Yami was taking the bait. Or perhaps that was a miscalculation?

"I see," Yami stated; forming ideas running through his head, "... and if you are willing to do that..." the former ruler resumed while taking a few steps away from Seto without taking his eyes off of him, "then I will have to match you..."

Seto's eyes contracted as his mind flavored the intent of Yami's words; his bushy tail airily swaying from side to side unconsciously. Had he been aware of it, he would have wanted to rip that tail off. Not only would that be a bad idea because of the pain, but Yami could easily think of another one to take its place and Seto did not want to get stuck in an infinite loop of ripping off the clothes and ...things... that Yami dressed him in just to have them reapplied, or something much worse as replacement. He watched in obvious discontent as Yami continued to back-step away from him until he finally stopped about 10 feet away.

The exotic...kitty-Yami... stood boldly still while he thought of the perfect revenge for Seto. Then, as his plan began to take shape and form behind him, the proud ruler lifted his chin and smiled dusikly. At his mental command, the visuals of one, two, three versions of Seto materialized behind Yami. They all wore separate, distinguishable outfits, but they all shared the same blue eyes. The one to the left of Yami was clad in Seto's Duelist Kingdom attire, the one on the opposite end sported Seto's white business suit while the one in the middle shared Seto's casual white overcoat and black ensemble underneath. Seto glared hard at the one in the center as he gave his genuine article a smug grin and crossed his arms. He even had the audacity to make Seto's trademark "Hnn" sound.

Not pleased nor amused in the least, Seto balled his hands into fists, and he made a choked sound in his throat, " Don't you dare goto them..." he seethed, trying fruitlessly many times in his head to halt the holograms' program. Yami easily realized this. He felt a little guilty pushing Seto this far when all he did was threaten him. But Yami still had not gotten over the multiple Yami experience Seto had decided to test firsthand that day and felt he needed to teach his significant other a lesson. But instead of walking towards the replicas, Yami allowed the 3 of them to approach him. They held him by the shoulders, the arms, and around his waist; they caressed him about his face, along his chest, and across his hips; they moved even closer to him, doing things that drove Seto utterly furious. And jealous. In a literal sense, Seto was kind of beside himself. But he managed to keep it under control. This was only a test. He couldn't let Yami best him like this!

It wasn't until the middle one, the one that irked Seto the most, slipped a hand beneath the ruler's chin to try to pull him in for a kiss that Seto could take no more in spectating this. Blinded by fury, he began to storm towards his possession; far too engulfed in his rage to take notice of Yami's retaliation against the copy's advance. In his blurred anger, all he saw, and cared about, was Yami. His. And his only.

"Seto!" Yami breathed, expressing his contentment of his other approaching him a little too openly. But Seto was not amused. With a tight-lipped silence, he pushed Yami to the side and punched the middle copy of himself right in the nose.

"Seto!" Yami called, glancing back at the stumbling hologram clutching his nose. Taken aback by the spectacle, Yami didn't notice Seto's taut grip on his arm until he was yanked away from the replicas. Yami felt a great deal of annoyance from the action, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't also accepting of it as well. He glanced be hind him when he heard the one of the copies shot out to Seto: "Keep your hands off of what's mine!" he bellowed.

Upon hearing this, Seto only grit his teeth. A nasty response began to coil around his tongue, ready to be launched until he heard one of the others speak.

"What's yours?" the Duelist Kingdom Seto boasted, "Yami is mine and mine alone."

"That's where you're both wrong!" The remaining copy spoke up, "The pharaoh is mine and always will be."

"He's mine!" the cool-colored clad one shot back, getting in the business attired one's face. "I don't think so!" The one in the white overcoat chimed in, still holding his hurting nose, "I am the only one able to best him and make him mine!"

"Mine!"

"No, he's mine!" one Seto pushed another.

"He belongs to me!"he pushed back even harsher.

From hearing all this childish and insipid banter, Seto, the original, and Yami couldn't help but pause in their steps and turn to observe the bickering holograms. Yami, for one, was astounded at how raw their dialogue had been reduced to when he was directly involved being tossed around about their virtual tongues. Now it was Seto's turn to be shocked and dumbfounded. He did NOT actually talk like that, did he? He made a mental note to recheck the variables he programmed in for any copies of himself after they got out of the pods later on. And as one could have guessed, a sudden fist fight broke out between the replicas, including plates being smashed over heads, random chairs being launched at the other and even more random power-bombs being given...

All in the name of their fiery, otherworldly game king...

"Seriously, Seto?" Yami questioned under his breath, his cat ears directed in two different directions: one towards the fake Seto's punching, wrestling, submission holding each other while the other pointed downwards to Seto's tail as it thrashed wildly about beneath his skirt.

"That isn't me!" Seto barked back; his retort not holding much effectiveness, to which Yami snickered at. The two of them exchanged glances for a few moments, thankful that they weren't being dragged into the scuffle, then fled from the scene.

They hurried off to a more secluded part of the blimp in record time. Soon, they approached some of the private rooms similar in appearance of how the ones Yami and the others stayed in during the finals. "Oh...this was Yūgi's room," Yami uttered, mainly to himself, and neared a finger to the door release button. Before he could press it, Seto grabbed him by the wrist and caused him Yami to give the cool male his full attention. Puzzled, Yami cocked his head slightly as he peered up at Seto. His kitty tail twitched from left to right momentarily, before its slight movements intensified to constant swishes. He still wasn't thrilled with Seto for what he did to him back there and her certainly could not wait until he was finally rid of these overly feminine accessories... and fetish kink. Seto eyed him silently; his intense eyes studying the stern expression about his rival's regal features. Seeing such a stoic face followed by cat ears, a skirt and a thrashing tail made Seto want to laugh. A chortle escaped but his expression did not change. Much. Yami's eyes narrowed and he tried to move is hand away from Seto's grip, "Stop laughing at me, Seto! And let me go!"

"I want you to come with me."

"Beg pardon?"

"Come here..." Seto demanded, giving Yami's arm a tug. The former ruler had little choice but to follow wherever Seto was leading him to. His tail swished rapidly behind him, showing his frustration while he let Seto drag him to the opposite side of the hall to a room with a different colored door. Wordlessly, Seto keyed in a series of numbers to the keypad next to the door and within seconds the door slid to the side. Yami blinked; he glanced up at Seto, then peered into the room, then looked back up at Seto again to address his captor, "Is this a secret room of yours?"

"No."

"Then why did you imagine a keypad for a room in an already fictional setting?" Yami questioned, the texture of his words showing his confusion. He didn't understand why Seto had to keep something locked away in a virtual world that only the two of them would enter into. Was he that much of a stickler for authenticity? It didn't make any sense to Yami. His ears flickered and his tail swept back and forth faster than ever before. Seto took notice of this and just pulled Yami into the room, "You're thinking too hard."

"I do not understand why-!"

"Then stop."

"But Seto-!"

"Hmph" Seto snorted, then let Yami go. Surprised, a sputtering Yami took this time to absorb his surroundings. The room was intricately detailed and was almost identical to the study they were in before. The only difference here was the king-sized sleigh bed against the wall near a large window with a sill wide enough to sit on. Yami blinked while he observed all of this, not sure how to describe it. "Seto..."

"What?"

"Where do you get the ideas to come up with the designs for these rooms?"

"My head, where else?"

"I never saw you as the designing type"

"And I never saw you as someone who could make a tasteless outfit even worse."

Yami flushed and his face solidified, "I beg your pardon! It wasn't my choice to wear THIS..." he gestured towards the outfit with both hands, "Now can you KINDLY remove it from me?"

"Beg me for it"

"What?"

"You heard me:"

"No!"

"Fine by me. I guess you'll be stuck like that for the rest of the time we're in here..."

"And that's where you're wrong. I could always leave now and let you stay here alone."

Seto's expression faltered slightly, "You wouldn't... that's childish," Seto retorted, regardless of the fact that he would do the exact same thing in Yami's position.

"Maybe... But it allows me to gain the upper hand... You have less than 3 seconds, Seto..."

"..."

"3..."

"..."

"2..."

"..."

"...1..."

"..."

" That's it...! Goodbye then, Seto," Yami waved, preparing himself to 'wake up', when he heard the sound of movement behind him. His ears twitched as they picked up on the sound and he made the careless mistake of turning to look into those intense azure eyes. The silent male glared entrancingly at Yami; his tail slowly moving side to side. Then, with a casual sound, he smoothly strode over to Yami. Each step he took was almost seen in slow motion from how power and grace his legs exhibited as they moved. Standing his ground, Yami gazed upto the immaculate Adonis in front of him; his mouth open in an astonished gape. He couldn't help it. No matter how many times he saw Seto, he usually found himself at a loss for immediate words whenever that man neared closer to him- especially when he had that avaricious look in his eyes.

"...Seto..." Yami breathed, sampling savoring the name of the man he respected and adored most. He found himself stilled in place as Seto stepped directly in front of him. His steely eyes peered into Yam's as he leaned down to his rival's face. Tiny bits of cream from the pie still littered his features. Seto could see it more clearly now that he was much closer and he didn't like it. Maybe now really was a good time for a reset of appearances. So Seto wasted no time in imagining Yami in his regular, plain, attire of a sleeveless top and tight leather pants, with a body clean of any hints of pastries, "There, I gave you your clothes back."

Pleased to hear that, Yami looked down and found Seto's words to indeed be true. He was finally free from that accursed Dark Magician Girl outfit! He twisted his waist to be able to glance behind himself and tried to wiggle a tail that was no longer there. "Thank goodness..." he expressed in relief. As he returned his attention to Seto, his cheer reduced to concern, "Oh... and from you doing that, I suppose I should alleviate the things I've done to you..."

"...Wouldn't that be nice..."

"Hahaha... here..." Yami offered. He shut his eyes and within seconds later, Everything feminine was removed from Seto, thankfully and finally, as well as the fox accessories and any stray remnants of cake. The long hair also disappeared, leaving Seto's original hairstyle to reclaim its rightful appearance. He was also rendered clear of any lingerings of the oden as well, much to Seto's appreciation.

"It's about time."

"I'll take that as a thank you. But you know, I could have let you keep that hair..."

"Don't you even think about it...again. It takes a long enough time to get my hair just the way I like it with the way it is."

"...Seto..." Yami stated abruptly; a small smirk laced about his lips.

"What"

"Stop talking and kiss me..." he commanded, reaching up to grasp the collar of the turtleneck and pulling Seto down to mingle their mouths. While Yami showcased his emotions in the embrace and made his actions completely transparent, Seto coolly slipped his hands into his pants pockets, but allowed the kiss to continue. Slightly frustrated by this, Yami made a sound and kissed Seto harder, swirling his tongue over those teasing lips before creeping in-between them to claim Seto's own. While Yami was doing all the work, Seto remained in control without returning much of any of the effort that Yami was just out of entertainment. He loved how easily he could ruffle Yami's feathers sometimes.

During a brief pause when their mouths ceased their kisses for air, Seto brushed his against Yami's to deliciously utter: "I've already told you that I don't take orders. And especially not from you."

The alluring quality of his voice made the smaller male shudder as a low moan escaped him, "But you will take this one..." he returned back.

"Why..."

"Because... don't make me say it, Seto..."

"What? Don't make you say what..." Seto prodded, sliding a hand out of one of his pockets and latching it behind Yami's head. His long fingers curled a fistful of Yami's thick locks–hard. The moment Yami opened his mouth wide to utter a sound, Seto thrust his tongue deep inside and tamed Yami's into submission. "Ahhmm-!" the former pharaoh gasped and sonorously mewled. He didn't expect to be devoured like that so quickly, let alone make a wanton sound such as that one. One kiss, and already he was becoming clay in Seto's hands; being shaped, formed and designed in ever which way according to his every whim. But Yami didn't want Seto to have his way entirely. He still refused to answer him. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't a very strong way to fight off such an attractive man that knew exactly what made you tick.

Hating being kept in the dark especially when he knew he could extract answers, Seto deepened their kiss by bringing Yami's mouth even closer and clutching his hair tautly. He knew what Yami was going to say. But it wouldn't do him any good unless he heard the message straight from the mouth he had conquered. To be honest, Seto saw himself as someone who would be considered a "cautious lover", or at least "cautious" by itself. He never would have brought himself to make the first move unless well prompted to do so and would rather follow another's lead in affairs of the heart rather than take the initiative. But with Yami, almost all of that fluttered away from being a hesitant thought in his mind. There was just an intense lure that bound him to this exotic being and Seto had allowed himself to not only be captured but to claim control of it. This took years. He had already respected Yami early on. The only thing he had left to do after that was study him enough to be able to brand him as his. The way he saw it, if Yami was the only one to ever best him in Duel Monsters, then it would make sense for Seto to claim winning dominance over his rival in other, more sensual, ways. He never saw himself being involved with anyone for the longest time. He had Mokuba and he was content with that. But once he and Yami started to build upon their bond that transcended through several millennia, all of that changed. Yami came along and changed him, changed everything in his life, his world. And the more Seto allowed Yami entrance closer to what he held in his heart, Yami's changes in him would soon become his world.

Seto had to be needed–just as Yami had to have a strong partner to keep him going. Without Seto's strength and support, Yami would wallow in his own self-guilt and that was well known between the two of them. They both needed the other. It was a perfect balance. Seto had known of a connection between them, but rarely spoke of it. But now, they had advanced three higher levels in their relationship, whatever label they gave themselves towards the other.

And because of that, Seto trusted Yami. Not completely, but if he were to calculate it, the rather high number, for his standards anyway, would be 89%.

While Seto admired this, he still had not received an answer, "Yami..." he addressed in a husky whisper.

"Mmn.." was the reply.

"I want you to tell me what you want..."

"..." Yami said nothing, but from the sudden tense of his body, Seto could tell that his brows were knitting together in rebellion. It amused him. Slightly. He brought both of his hands to cup Yami's chiseled face, kissing him softly as he made his demand, "Say that you want me..."

"..Ah.." Yami hesitated. A light streak of carmine dusted his cheeks and he refused to risk looking at Seto.

"Yami..."

"Why don't you say it, then? Say to me that you want me..."

"I don't have to say it. And don't think you're being clever using a weak reverse psychology on me..."

"Haha..." Yami chuckled, ultimately breaking their light kiss. He touched his hands to Seto's about his cheeks and moved them to his chest. Their eyes met, neither of them making much of a move nor sound, save for their breathing. An intangible occurrence was unfolding here. Their bond had deepened and their gratification towards the other ascended to a moderately comfortable level. Yami was grateful for the bond they shared and couldn't have asked to spend his time with a better individual–as stubborn and hard-headed as Seto could be. He was falling for him faster than he realized, which he found rather funny because in the past 2 years after Battle City, Yami thought that he had already fallen for Seto. Obviously, there was more than he had noticed before the two of them got serious.

With suave grace, Yami moved his hands from Seto's and balled dual sections of his shirt in his fists, "I said, tell me that you want me, Seto..."

"No..." Seto breathed back. At Yami's surprise, the blue eyed male withdrew from Yami's closeness and began walking backwards. A little hurt, as well as intrigued, Yami watched Seto take several more steps back until he reached the large window's sill. Once there, he sat down on it casually–a bit too casually with his arms behind his back holding the majority of his body weight and his legs gradually starting to spread. His head hung at a low angle, causing his heavy drape of bangs to brush over his eyes and give him a mysteriously erotic look. To top it all off, he smirked confidently; the sharp gaze in his eyes more than enough of an invitation to encourage Yami to approach him.

The slender male was exclusively thunderstruck witnessing such a display and his pupils shrank 3 times their normal size. There his Seto was expressively showing what he wanted in such a lewd way that both stimulated and scared Yami. He was fearful because of all the things that ran through his mind that he could do to Seto right now. And if Seto was willing... then that would be all she wrote.

"You're thinking too much," Seto dissuaded, " I don't want to have to repeat myself."

Hesitantly, Yami swallowed and somehow persuaded his legs to move to reach Kaiba. Obviously nervous, Yami positioned himself between Seto's legs and readied himself for anything. From seeing his opponent at a weak and indecisive moment, Seto reached up and snagged a handful of Yami's hair. With one good tug, he pulled Yami's head to his. What he had to say next, he was only going to say once and he wanted to make sure Yami heard him. His sultry words took their airy form, dappling over Yami's lips as they were whispered into existence: "I. Want. You."

As the words brewed their substance in Yami's head, his eyes widened and he understood everything that Seto was telling him. Seto didn't just want to have sex, he wanted Yami to initiate it–with him being the one to receive it.

"Seto...are you-"

"Yes. Now, will you or won't you?"

"Yes! Yes...! By all means I will-!" Yami raved in an eager whisper.

"Hmph. Seems like you've been wanting this opportunity for a quite some time... Why didn't you just tell me?" Seto questioned, sitting straight up to unravel the trapping of Yami's belt, "Afraid I'd say no?"

"Yes..."

"And you'd be right. I would have said no. But this time, you didn't ask."

"So if I don't ask, you'd be willing?" Yami wondered, tossing Seto's belt in an aimless location in the room. Seto allowed a blink to pass before answering and rid Yami of his pants, "...Maybe"

"What?"

"If I feel like it. Looks like today just happened to be your lucky day..."

"And you sound so enthused," Yami joked, laughing gingerly with a warm smile that only the man before him could encourage.

"Hmph," Seto smirked. Now nude, he snaked an arm around Yami's slender waist and pulled him close enough for their erections to rub. A flutter of gasps sprinkled between them from the contact and Yami was soon becoming consumed by it. Just one little touch. Seto mused to himself about how sensitive and responsive Yami was, and not just from personality alone. While his exotic rival was occupied, Seto grabbed Yami's throbbing length and brought it down a bit lower. The moment Yami felt the tactility of the taut ring, he immediately tensed and stopped Seto from going any further.

"W-wait!" Yami panted airily, "Shouldn't... shouldn't we use lubricant?"

Not knowing what to answer him with right away, Seto double blinked in a way that could have doubled for him skeptically rolling his eyes instead. Or perhaps he did the later after all? Eventually, his lips parted, "You did not just ask me that."

"But-"

"Honestly, we're in a virtual setting, it's fake, and you ask if we need to use lubricant?"

"Haven't you been using it with me?"

"No! I haven't!"

"...!" Yami could have sworn Seto was, but in the same token, his head was usually facing away from Seto when they copulated. So in that instance, he couldn't exactly tell, nor see, WHAT Seto was doing behind him. Once he felt that familiar hard warmth begin to fill him, any details leading upto it were swiftly forgotten and/or ignored. Yes, that had to definitely be some really great sex.

Still in disbelief, Seto shook his head, "You just love making things difficult, don't you?"

"With you, things often tend to be without my doing, " Yami smiled; his eyes drifting over to the left of him where a bottle of lubricant hovered in the air, courtesy of Seto's doing. He snatched it up, ignoring Seto rolling his eyes, and applied it.

"Are you ready, now," Seto snorted, while keeping his attention on Yami's movements to keep mental notes of them for later use. He returned his hand to curl around Yami's hot endowment and brought it to its destination. A hiss flowed from Seto as a guttural and blissful sound lifted from Yami as the smooth flesh was swallowed whole within Seto. Slowly, to get used to the sensations, Yami receded halfway before delving back into the tepid taut depths that beckoned for him.

"...Seto..." he gasped. He tilted his head back; his wild bangs brushing over his closed eye lids and feathering over his quivering lips while they whispered mollified sweet nothings. In partial contrast, Seto observed Yami through slightly narrowed eyes with his mouth open just wide enough for his anticipated breaths to flutter free. Soon, Yami adopted a steady rhythm that left him desiring even more physical contact. Throughout the tempo of his impassioned thrusts, Yami found himself leaning closer towards Seto until their chests rubbed against the other. A round of moans and honest sounds reverberated between them. Enraptured, Yami rested his head in the crook of Seto's neck. Upon doing so, the new angle it provided within Seto caused him to inhale deeply. Eventually, a hesitant hand found its way around Yami's waist and slid down to grasp half of his bottom firmly.

"Ah... Seto..." Yami breathed. Although he was the current dominant one in this situation, he could not stop himself from salivating and moaning loudly with his mouth widely open as if he were the one being claimed instead. Taken by both of their desires and fulfillments, Yami's eyes delicately revealed themselves as glossed slits. Aimlessly, his liquidy orbs traveled down over Seto's shoulder and tapered down his back. For a brief moment, a humorous musing came to him and just as he imagined it, the fluffy bushiness of the fox tail Seto had once sported made a return. Yami chuckled to himself from this and of course the sonorous sound was immediately picked up on by Seto.

"What..." he quired unevenly, and having to "ask" the question twice, without his voice cracking the second time. Yami snickered while only able to see flickers of the tail as it thrashed about behind Seto. Knowing for certain that something was amiss, Seto began to make movements to pull Yami away from his chest and that was when the shorter male's thoughts terminated the furry addition.

"What is so funny?" Seto asked again, looking Yami right in the face. The former pharaoh merely laughed, but clasped his hands down on Seto's shoulders as if doing so would secure his placement within him. He didn't want to ruin the rare opportunity! But unluckily for him, Seto had other plans.

With an astonishing speed and agility, Seto stood to his feet and scooped Yami into his arms in the process. It was amazing he didn't literally bend the other male out of shape.

"Seto, stop! I wasn't—we weren't finished yet!" Yami groused, pounding on Seto's shoulders with his fists and then slapping him in the chest. Of course, these actions weren't meant to hurt Seto, in fact, he barely even felt them, and easily paid them little mind while he carried Yami over to the bed. The Pharaoh didn't get the chance to utter another gripe or complaint before he was tossed into the sheets, and then pinned to them just as quickly. His wary jewels of amaranth gazed up into dazzling azure in expectation as well as allure. A daring smirk played about Seto's lips and he neared his face closer to Yami's, "Now I'm giving you 3 seconds..."

"? Wh-wha? For what?"

Seto arched a fine brow and made a deep, throaty sound that was absolutely marvelous resonating from him. The dominating glint in his eyes against the shades of his downy hair mixed with that sound and the arrogant curve of his lips sent Yami spiraling into rapture. Engulfed within Seto's spell, Yami shut his eyes and relaxed his body. Silently, he surrendered all of himself to Seto entirely. Swiftly being swept away so easily, Yami also forgot what Seto spoke previously. But his puzzlement was answered when he felt that pulsing beast nestle itself between his legs and seep inside him. A raspy shout tore from Yami and his back arched off the bed. Every thrust Seto delivered, Yami matched by raising his hips into the motions. His toes curled amongst the sheets and his hands balled into fists; his wrists still held down by Seto's grip. A mantra of carnal sounds and Seto's name cascaded from Yami until the two separate entities began to assimilate into one melody drizzling from the corner of Yami's mouth.

The bed shook violently at first, then ascended to an intensity far beyond that as the desperate sound Yami conjured along with the grunts and swears Seto contributed actually made the bed inch forward from each powerful thrust. Before long the headboard met with the wall next to the window and slammed against it mercilessly. The vibrations quavered through the frame of the bed and jostled Yami's thin body, causing him to be even more disoriented than Seto had already made him. It was a delicious delirium Yami began to crave for as he felt his climax approaching. Seto was already aware of the effects their surroundings, and his feverish pounding, was having on Yami.

Whenever Yami was about to "admit defeat", as he saw it, he would turn his head to one side while his bangs spilled over his dewy face in thin separates and clung to the corners of his open mouth. His eyes would be tightly shut and his brows would shudder from being so tautly knitted in ecstasy. His breaths would grow ragged and shallow, causing the lines of his abs to surface. Every time Seto saw that, it was a serious boost to his already extremely large...ego.

"Yami..." Seto called, knowing he wouldn't be heard, "...Yami...!" With his own ultimate approaching, Seto heightened his speed and laid directly on top of Yami. In response to the contact, Yami clamped his legs around Seto's waist and squeezed tightly.

With a raw, powerful sound that could easily threaten to shatter some windows, Seto bellowed the warning of his orgasm, and released its creamed extract into Yami's shuddering body rope after hot rope. As he settled, Yami expelled his essence as well and decorated both their chests and abdomens with its spillage.

After the height of their session cooled, they cleaned themselves off and fell into a slumber in the other's arms.

After what felt like an hour and a half later, Seto lifted his heavy lids. Immediately, his attention drifted over to Yami who was still asleep and curled into the contours of his body. But instead of their arms still being encircled around each other, now their hands were clasped; fingers intertwined. When did they end up laying like this? Once he deduced that Yami was fine, the ivory fabric of some sort caught his eye. Glancing down at his body, without breaking his contact with Yami, he realized that he was now clad in some sort of suit. He certainly didn't conjure it, so the remaining result pointed to Yami. But what was the significance of such dressy attire? It wasn't his business suit, although it shared the same hue. Returning his eyes to his slumbering Yami, the noble ruler was still nude atop the sheets. The wrinkle of a thought wavered through Seto's mind and instantly, a white suit like the one he was wearing materialized around Yami's slender frame. While the image of them together like this in matching clothing was appealing to him, there was something missing.

He wasn't sure where this next thought came from, nor did he care very much. It just seemed appropriately correct and for this moment, that was fine with him. In-between the couple, a large bouquet of red and white roses appeared atop their clasped hands, littered with bits of Baby Breath to add to the decoration. A deep blue ribbon encompassed the stems; the edges of them draping over their bodies like a tiny banners. The image of them resting closely like this in their new attire gave the image of something Seto hadn't even dared to think of. If they had added rings to their fingers, their image would mirror that of... Seto perished the unfinished thought. There was no reason to advance things further than need be between the two of them just yet. There was no telling how their lives would be if they couldn't access their fantasy settings within the pods.

Seto didn't want to think about that either. Now wasn't the time. As of right now, Yami was his immediate focus–and in sleep, his being was practically flawless.

A faint, rare but genuine, smile smoothed over Seto's lips from the sight and he admired the fact that Yami was indeed his. No one else's. No one else deserved to see him like this. No one else earned it. It was a satisfaction he could only acknowledge towards himself instead of speak on it. Once satisfied , gingerly Seto allowed his eye lids to whisper closed while he drifted into another virtual sleep with Yami–side by side, and hand in hand.

OoO

Another week passed and Seto and Yami still continued to meet each night. But things started to go sour for Yami when he let the reality of his thoughts get the better of him. He and Seto had been caught up in their moments over the past month and few weeks that they had more time for physical contact than they did for talking. However, there were times when Yami was invited over just to talk. He appreciated those times. But no matter how much or how little they conversed, the bottled up guilt Yami kept inside was slowly creeping its way to the surface, bit by bit. The stronger the encounters became, the closer he and Seto seemed to get. But could their moments together count towards how things would be in reality's setting or was it all entirely fake? If there was a way they could sustain a relationship in reality outside of the pods, would they have to start over again or continue from where their illusions left off?

He couldn't keep this up; just like Seto told him last month in his home office. Something would have to give. He had lied to Yūgi by letting Seto kiss lips that weren't even his; he lied to Seto by not telling him the very things that were bothering him and pretended like he was fine to spend time with; he was still lying to himself to believe he had all the time in the world to enter virtual reality with Seto. He needed to get his priorities straight, new sensations and emotions or not. He needed to let Seto know what was troubling him. He needed to step up and be straightforward.

In the middle of the 3rd week of the new month, Seto's schedule changed and he wasn't able to see nor converse with Yami at all. That, on top of another time when Yūgi asked when he would want to regain his memories was weighing to be too much on him. He needed relief. Yūgi went out with his friends that day and for the majority of it, Yami was silent; trapped within a cocoon of thoughts he created for himself in his turmoil.

OoO

-ARGH! FINALLY! Still didn't get everything I wanted to in this one either _ But anyways, the 3 locations for their romps was from the suggestion of MOON-TAN! *HUGGLES!* And the suggestion for the uke Seto and the fox tail was from Lauren! *HUUUGS!* I was inspired from Gracie's delve into KaiYami's signs and did some research too! THANX GRACIE!

And sorry if this chapter sucked ;_;

**ooc!**

Yami: I have angst. But it's being overshadowed by our encounters!

Seto: Get over it

Yami: NUUuuuu...Seto why am I in a dress?

Seto: I was bored

Yami: Are you trying to tell me something?

Seto: You know what, from the crazy crap that went on in this chapter, we don't even need to make fun of anything.

Yami: THREE SETOS

Seto: I WILL DESTROY THEM!

Yami: But seriously, with all this fantasy stuff, where does this leave us in the real world?

Seto: I don't watch reality tv, you know that.

Yami: No! That's not what I mean! Oh forget it!

Mokuba: I had a cameo mention!

Yūgi: I think I did too...!

Seto and Mokuba: No one cares

Yūgi: *whimper*

Yami: To be continued!

**ooc!**

~Mel


	8. Be

_**A/N: Yami angst! And looots of banter!...And obviousness!**_

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 8

OoO

"Mr. Mokuba, where are you going, now?" Came Roland's concerned voice in the distance. Dashing down the corridor to Seto's home office, Mokuba called over his shoulder, "I'm just gonna check something! I'll be back!"

"But sir! Your next flight back to Europe will arrive soon! We do not want to keep Ms Rebbecca and Mr Hawkins waiting!"

With an annoyed sigh from being told something he was already aware of, the younger Kaiba rolled his eyes. Then he took a quick taste of the yogurt he held, "I know I know, I won't be long! Keep your shirt on!" Mokuba assured. Once he reached the double doors, he knocked twice and listened impatiently for an answer. When there wasn't one, he sucked his teeth in disappointment that his brother still wasn't present. He started to leave, but changed his mind at the last second and pushed the doors open. He ran into the room and made a quick turn at Seto's desk. He swiftly finished off the cherry flavored Greek yogurt he had brought along and disposed of the contents in a wastebasket near the desk. Hastily, Mokuba opened the desk drawers two at a time until he found what he was looking for.

"All right!" He exclaimed when he came across a stray cell phone that wasn't really tucked away. Excitedly, he scooped it up and checked to see if it worked or not. It made a musical sound in response when he pushed a button. "Sweet!" he chirped and searched for the charger. Once he found it, he stuffed them both in his vest pocket and closed the invaded drawers. Then he glanced around for a piece of unused paper and a pen. With a hasty and quick hand, he sloppily scribbled out a note to Seto:

"Hey big bro! Sorry I missed seeing you and sorry for stopping by on such short notice but my cell phone stopped working and died and I knew you had some extra ones laying around. If I bought a new one there, it would have a European number and I know you hate dealing with long distance charges, so I had Roland bring me back to snag one of yours! Thanks bro! I'll take good care of it!

P.S. I hope you're not working yourself too hard! I want to be able to recognize you when I come back home next month!

P.S.S. And no the condom did NOT break!"

The last line was a joke. Mokuba and Rebbecca had not engaged in any kind of sexual relations, but Mokuba wanted to mess with his brother's mind just a bit. With a playful snicker, he tossed the pen and on the desk and ran out of the room, shutting the doors behind him.

OoO

Several hours shifted through time. Seto had finally reached his office at the apex of sunset. He was an apparent favorite today from how many calls he had gotten throughout it-not to mention the several very long meetings he had to endure. He had long gotten tired of this—being batted around from place to place as if he and his patience were some type of brat's toy. At times, he even hated it, but such was the role he carried as CEO. The only thing that could pass as something positive, in a personal sense, was having some time between meetings to place his mind on other things. Not an hour had passed by without thoughts of Yami swarming his mind. He hadn't seen nor heard from the man in weeks thanks to his new hectic work schedule. He knew that Yami understood, but that did not mean his rival's absence in his life was fine.

By the time Seto opened the double doors to his home office, he was plagued with another phone call. Almost mechanically, he fished into his suit pocket and retrieved his work cell.

"I said I'll get back to you in one hour" Seto commanded. Those few words were all that were required for him to set up yet another meeting in the near future. Yet, the phone call didn't end there.

This was maddening. He needed an outlet and because of Yami's scolding about using the pods, and imagining fake copies of him when he wasn't there, Seto had to divert his energy elsewhere. Usually, he just plowed himself through more work, but took an occasional breather to listen to some music and play a few random Flash games on the computer. They were diversions that carried the days by a little faster, but they were no substitute for Yami. Seto fought with the idea every single day to call Yami and invite him over, or to take him somewhere for just the two of them to explore. But for now, his work and Kaiba Corp came first. However, this insipid phone call needed to end. Swiftly, he did just that without warning to his client. As he stepped further into his home office, his nose caught the faint scent of fruit. He thought back to what he had for breakfast, but that didn't matter since he did not eat in this room before leaving for an 8 o' clock meeting. Someone has been here... and it wasn't any of his maids. Out of all the various perfumes and fragrances they wore, none of them smelled quite like this...

No more than a moment later, his cell rang again but with the hook of a different ringtone-"2ool Masr" by Bhnoos- that he had set specifically for this particular individual. Seto answered it on the half of the first ring, recognizing the caller immediately, "Did you find it?" he asked hurriedly.

A breathy sound of affirmation drifted from the other side, followed by a gentle: "Yes. But the Pharaoh must take this trial upon himself. You cannot do it for him."

Seto snorted. As long as her idea was something that could work for his Yami, he wanted to know all he could about it to _make_ it work. "I don't care," he sighed, "give me the details"

"In the ancient writings, there is mention of the Nameless Pharaoh undergoing a trial of ritual when he has lost his way."

"Lost his way where..."

"From approaching his afterlife."

Seto froze from that declaration as if his entire body had been impaled by a pillar of ice. So that was what would happen... Neither he nor Yami wanted to face that possibility although they both dreaded it as being the truth. Seto knew Yami was torn between what he believed was some preplanned "destiny" nonsense and keeping their relationship together. He knew Yami wanted to leave to go chase after what he thought was right for him- but things that were right and the things that were best were two completely different concepts. And in Seto's eyes, there was nothing better for Yami than he, himself.

The elegant woman on the other line took Seto's silence to mean he was busily contemplating for a way out of letting Yami leave him behind. "Yes, I realize you asked for a method of allowing the Pharaoh to obtain his own vessel and that at this moment the information I have just given you does not seem to be aiding you in that endeavor..."

"You had better have a point to this, Ishizu..."

"I'm getting to it. If the Pharaoh is able to best whomever accepts his challenge, then he receive his own body but will remain in his cursed time until that body dies."

"Then I'll have to beat him," Were the words Seto wanted to say. Given his track record of always losing to Yami, that didn't seem like very much motivation. Yet, he allowed Ishizu to continue.

"And, should the Pharaoh lose the challenge, he will return to his resting place and will not linger in his curse ever again."

" 'His curse'. That's rather vague of you Ishizu."

"Take it however you must, Seto. You asked and I have told you. I assume you were wishing for his companionship? For him to remain here?"

An unpleasant scowl formed on Seto's face. As if the woman could identify his expression from his silence alone, she gave a smug sound, "Do you wish to engage in Duel Monsters with him? Or perhaps you have engaged him in other ways..."

"... If there's nothing else useful for have to say on the situation, then please do shut up," he retorted.

He was mere seconds away from abruptly ending the call at that moment until he heard her take a breath to speak again. While he listened to Ishizu's statements, he made a beeline for his desk. This was urgent news and he had to explain it to Yami once he knew all of what they would be dealing with from Ishizu's descriptions. If her information hadn't focused so heavily on Yami, he would have already hung up on her. The distinct smell of cherries was stronger to him now that he had reached his desk. Wordlessly, he opened the top drawer and sent a glance into the nearby wastebasket. There, he caught a glimpse of an emptied Chobani Greek Yogurt container. There was only one person he knew of that enjoyed that type and brand of yogurt and it definitely wasn't him. Mokuba loved that type of yogurt and only ate cherry flavors when he could. Mokuba was back? For how long?

Seto hated being in the dark about things he felt he should have been aware of, especially when it dealt with his little brother's whereabouts and doings. Had he really been working that much? Feeling a migraine coming on, he pressed his fingers to the side of his head. His aimless eyes dropped into the top drawer for his personal cell phone. The same phone he had been calling Yami with in secret. Only, it wasn't there. Frantically, he began searching through the drawer more intently, but the item he sought still alluded him. With wild eyes, he glanced at the clock atop his desk for the time. As he did, he took notice of the note Mokuba had left. As he read it, his tolerance for hearing that woman's voice began to irritate him and he quickly told her that he would call her back before closing his cell. He slammed it down on the desk while his focus went into reading the note. Harsh swears and unbelieving exclamations were the only sounds he could formulate in response as he reread the note again and again. With an aggravated sound, he shifted his racing blue hues to the clock once more. In about 5 hours, Yami was going to call that number and chances were that Mokuba would answer. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind it much if the two of them talked, as long as it wasn't about him.

However, this situation was far from something so mutually casual. Since he had been away from Yami for weeks because of his work and hadn't spoken to him, Seto was afraid that one of these days Yami would become unable to battle with his pent up emotions and and desire to immediately speak to him. And since Mokuba had his cell, it was obvious to see where that could lead. Tossing the note in the garbage, Seto stormed from his desk and allowed himself a quick shower and change of clothes before dashing out the doors. He wasted no time selecting a vehicle and haste getting to the game shop before Yami got himself into something he wouldn't be able to undo by himself.

OoO

At the Turtle Game Shop, the young veil of night had already cocooned the city and Yūgi had gone to bed early. At least Yami had hoped that was the case. He had taken control of the little one's body the moment he saw Yūgi rest his eyes on the couch. And since Yūgi was already there, it saved Yami the time of having to sneak downstairs.

Restlessly, he passed the square phone back and forth between his hands while he deliberated on non-silent thoughts. It had been weeks since he was able to speak to Seto as freely as he desired. He needed to see him; contact him, but he also didn't want to disturb him in his work. Yami couldn't imagine how running a company was like. Despite being a ruler of millions once or not, being a servant to the wellbeing of his people was not as callous as running a successful business. He supposed since dealings of the heart were not Seto's strong-suit, the role of business fit him well. He couldn't speak for Seto, but his heart had become a victim in conclusion. Still, Yami continued to stand his ground. Life without Seto had become rather difficult without the complicated man at his direct access. He needed to be stimulated- mentally and spiritually more than physically. Simply put, he just needed Seto. That was it.

At the same time, the spirit felt more awful as the days went by that he didn't tell Seto how he really felt. About everything. It wasn't like him to keep his emotions so locked up in his chest for so long. While he craved a relationship with Seto, he didn't want to get too attached in the same token–which was both foolish and selfish. His hesitance stemmed from his want to complete his destiny and he had to be upfront with Seto about it. He couldn't remain here in this time. It wasn't right. He and Seto had to have a very serious talk. As much as he loved their times spent together in the world of fantasy, he needed more and he knew Seto did too. Yami hated to admit it but the two of them could not keep this charade up...

After about 15 minutes of hesitation and procrastination, Yami halted his toying of the phone and held it cupped in both his hands. A sigh left him and he leaned his forehead down to kiss his hands. He could only blame himself for allowing their relationship to expand as much as it had under the pretense of virtual reality. That promised nothing. Nothing was concrete between them; just weightless photons of light draped in their likeness. Their emotions were caught up in the middle of it all.

Yami had desired to be a part of Seto for so long that he finally got his wish. But now he was paying for his recklessness for pursuing such a relationship with his guilt. And that guilt was merciless. He couldn't keep doing this anymore. Not for sex. He wouldn't mind the illusion of seemingly infinite time to talk to Seto in ways for them both to get the know the other better. But even that could translate into intimacy on a higher level that intercourse could never obtain.

But what did it matter? Yami wasn't going linger around in this life and time forever. He'd uncover the truths behind his name, and then ultimately return to where he belonged. Not here. Maybe it would be better for him to just sneak his way to Egypt without telling Seto of his intentions or whereabouts. Maybe he should take Yūgi's warnings and concerns to heart and be more focused on finding out his name and reclaiming what he'd lost in his past. If he happened to disappear then, so be it... He had caused Seto enough problems from wanting to delve so deep into a relationship with him. Yami knew better and he knew that all of this was not just purely and solely his fault alone. Seto wanted to take the dive along with him. Because of that, Yami couldn't help but carry his guilt, and Seto's as if it were his own, and dwell on it.

If something didn't get solved now, he was going to lose his mind, stuck in this migraine of ever-looping thoughts and brick walls. There needed to be a conclusion. Something needed to give. A troubled glaze tinted his eyes as he contemplated this; tightly gripping the phone between his cupped hands. Out of respect for Seto and his business, Yami had not called his other at all. He didn't send him any messages, not that he knew how to anyway, nor did he stop by Seto's office. Half a month had passed since he last spoke with and saw him and the withdrawal was unbearable. Now, Yami had decided that he was going to call Seto and settle the wailing issues of his heart once and for all. He needed to be upfront. He needed to be honest and tell Seto his fears, regardless of what futures unraveled from that. With much hesitation, Yami lifted his head away from the phone and placed his thumb on the redial button. His body continued to fight his next decision of either pressing the button or recoiling from it altogether. In a moment of complete indecisiveness, Yami squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed the button down hard, as if shielding his eyes from the action was an attempt at hiding some sort of betrayal to his own body.

Then, he waited. And waited. And waited while an eternity slipped by in the passage of 3 mere seconds as the phone rang. The second Yami heard sounds of life on the receiving end, his urgent words tingled about the tip of his tongue before even a 'hello' could have been breathed. There was no holding back now.

"Seto, we need to talk, but please don't interrupt me until I am finished. I... need to be honest with you because you at least deserve that much. Ever since the first night we shared that kiss, I have been haunted by what else could unfold between us. While what he had was an amazing and magnificent endeavor, I never imagined that we would have gotten as far as we are right now. But... because of the use of a world that is not real, I am troubled by how reality will continue to blur and blind us to the truth. But don't get me wrong. I'm extremely honored and grateful that you thought about our relationship in high enough regard to built something so fascinating for me. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine experiencing sex with you in the ways you have shown me..." he paused to let a faint crooked smile briefly curve his lips, "… Unless you don't count those copies of me. However, I am willing to allow those encounters slide."

There was a small beep that emitted from the phone, but Yami was so immersed in his confession that he ignored it and continued to be honest with himself, "But what has been troubling me as of late is I honestly don't know what to do. I don't know where to go from here with you. Being in your absence makes me think of all my insecurities... The more time that passes the more I think about obtaining my memories because I cannot continue to use Yūgi's body like this. The more time that passes, the more I am reminded how I have been dishonest to you, Yūgi , and myself. And I cannot continue doing this to any of us, regardless of how much I...am fond of you. Like you said months ago...we must find a permanent solution and I'd rather not continue to keep teasing ourselves like this. ...I want all of you, Seto. And it's painfully obvious that you want the same from me. I admit that I have been the one holding the both of us back... I think... I think it's best for us to have more time to talk amongst ourselves. I need you to be here in front of me so I can tell you everything I am thinking of—every ache that weighs on my heart.

"What I'm trying to say is... I need you. I need you here with me. There," he sighed. He paused to take in a deep breath and then release it. One block of concrete had been pulled from the dam of his emotions and allowed a trickle of serenity to flutter over him. He felt a little better being straightforward about the qualms of his heart. Now all that was left was to have Seto in front of him so they could freely discuss their issues and solve the problem."

Another beep sounded. Curious, Yami moved the phone away and glanced at the back of it. If the battery was low, he would have to charge it soon, "Now I am finished. I've said what I needed to for now. What do you have to say, Seto...? Although, I must say I'm surprised that you actually listened to all of that without interrupting me anyway... And did you hear a beep?"

There was a smidgen of ruffled movement on the other end that calmed Yami's uneasiness about the previous silence. A light gasp followed afterwards to which Yami immediately identified it as clearly being female. His heart sank from this; a plethora of speculations passing through his mind at once. Before he could even begin to want to jump to unsound conclusions, the very familiar voice of Mokuba rang out in a disbelieving shout: "YOU-! YOU SLEPT WITH MY BROTHER?"

-Clatter!-

The phone dropped from Yami's hands like a boulder and separated into pieces about the carpet. A freezing stab of fear pooled in his abdomen from the shock. Soon, that feeling vanished like a phantom once his entire body went numb of all feeling and began to shake. Mortified, he took a couple of steps away from the fallen device; staring horrified at its scattered pieces as if it had just tried to murder him. How could he had been so careless! Was he that anxious to tell Seto his feelings that he didn't even bother to wait to hear his voice on the other end first?

"What... what have I done-!" he whispered in a choked gasp so lowly, he hardly recognized his own voice. Hesitantly, he lifted his quavering hands to his face and clawed at his bangs, "WHAT HAVE I DONE!"

The second before he was about to lose control of himself, the front door to the shop swung open. There in the doorway stood a frantic, and disheveled, Seto Kaiba; chest heaving and mouth open in a heavy pant his work cell in hand. The two of them stared at the other, not knowing what to say nor what action to make. Seto's eyes scanned the room and immediately pin-pointed the dismantled cell phone on the carpet. He already knew what happened and the culprit tumbled out of his mouth, "Mokuba-!"

"Seto?" Yami breathed inaudibly, but his distraught remained prominent. Now that Seto was here, in his life again, in his world again, Yami didn't want to face him this way. Not like this. Distraught, he lowered his head; his wild bangs shielding his anguished features. From what had just happened on the phone with Mokuba, Yami felt as if he had betrayed Seto in a way that could not be reversed. His privacy, their privacy, was now known to someone else in the most delicate and intimate of details. In anger as well as shame, he shut his eyes and turned away from Seto. "Why are you here..." Yami uttered in a broken tone; his back to Seto.

"Why do you think? Mokuba-"

"This should not have happened...! I never should have-!"

"Yami!" Seto called. In seconds, he approached the shorter male and gripped him by the shoulders. Hating having Yami's back towards him, he spun the shorter around to look him in the eyes–despising the rueful glimmer in them even more. The troubled male did not look at Seto directly at first. But eventually, his glassy orbs trailed over into intent sapphire. Although his emotions were bared for Seto to clearly see through his eyes, Yami's expression feigned composure as he stared blankly at his significant other.

"Stop glaring at me and tell me what happened!" Seto snapped.

"Mokuba was on the phone...!"

"I know that! He took my phone by mistake, not knowing I was using it to keep in touch with you. I kept calling you, but I couldn't get through!"

"You did what...?" Yami exclaimed doubtfully; the puzzlement clear on his face. Well, that would explain the phone beeping. No wonder Seto couldn't through. Yami had no idea what call waiting was nor how to switch calls over. The look on Yami's face told Seto everything and he sighed heavily. Someone needed a lesson on how to use a cell phone.

"You called him, didn't you...?"

"Yes, I called him! What do you think just happened? I thought I was calling you! Why didn't you prepare for something like that to happen?" Yami lashed out. His anger was not without good reason, but the direction it was aimed in was a wrong one. At this moment, Yami couldn't help it. He needed to vent; he needed Seto and now both opportunities were ripe for his pilfering. Then, the truth slipped out, "I don't know how much longer I can deal with this!"

"With what..."

"This! Us! Our relationship if you can call it that!"

Seto's eyes narrowed at this. Although he was mildly hurt by that statement, he allowed Yami to continue. He thought the other was able to clearly see what his actions showed and the depths they attributed to what they shared. But maybe he gave Yami too much credit in that respect. Yet, while he considered this, he immediately denied it. His grip tightened around Yami's shoulders from being the target of misdirected anxiety. "First, I'm going to tell you to calm down, and second, we need to talk"

"I don't want to talk! I renounced an important piece of information about your personal life blindly to someone I was unaware of! Your secrecy is ruined because of my actions!"

"Snap out of it! Its my fault as much as it's yours that I didn't know Mokuba had the phone until later!"

"There is NO excuse for this! It's my fault!"

"Stop it!"

"Haven't you been listening? I've ruined our privacy, your privacy! There is no forgiveness for that!"

"That's enough!" Seto shouted, pushing Yami. He actually wanted to punch him to get some sense into him, but at the last second Seto shoved Yami instead. Stumbling backwards, he collided hard into a wall behind him. Before he could utter anything, Seto placed a finger and thumb about his chin and lifted it to meet his dark eyes. Although it may not have seemed like it, Seto was touched Yami felt so much for him to care as much as he did about his privacy. But Yami's weakness here was unacceptable. If he wasn't around to balance this man, how would things have gone if he hadn't shown up at the shop tonight? What could have happened to better the situation if Seto hadn't gotten stuck in ridiculous traffic? What would the outcome be now if his work cell hadn't died seconds before he reached the game shop? How could things have been better if he had rushed to see Yami earlier in the month, over the weeks, like he did this night? How would he be able to forgive himself for taking Yami for granted like that?

It didn't matter anymore. Seto was here, now.

"We need to talk," Seto repeated; his tone much more even and controlled. And Yami responded well to it by giving him absolute attention through his watery eyes. "..."

"You're coming with me," Seto urged, grasping a distraught Yami by the wrist and tugging him from the wall. "Seto, stop this, now!" Yami warned, but of course his thin threats didn't even graze Seto once he set his mind on something. Seto pulled Yami out of the shop and commanded him to lock the place up. With many a grumble and retort, Yami did as instructed, only to be pulled away from the finished task by the wrist again and thrown against the side of Seto's vehicle. Yami squirmed from being treated this way, but he knew better than anyone that this type of closeness and interaction was what he craved. And Seto was the only individual who he would allow, and who could bequeath it to him.

Seto was aware of this too and could see straight through Yami's behavior. Stealthily, he leaned down and hovered his lips just above Yami's ear and spoke what was already known, "You need this, Yami." A confused sound emerged from Yami and he shut his eyes. The quality of Seto's voice so close to him deepened its pitch and caused Yami's entire being to tingle. He could feel his tension begin to unravel its coil from around him rope by rope.

"Get in the car," Seto continued, opening one of the rear doors. With mumbles of disdain and reluctance, Yami crossed his arms and refused to get in. Not having the time for this, Seto dropped a hand atop Yami's shoulder, pushed him in and shut the door behind him. He glided over to the driver's side and climbed in. As soon as the door shut, Seto brought the car to life and pulled off.

As Seto drove, the exotic male kept his eyes glued on him; studying the way his hands smoothly manipulated the steering wheel and the clutch. Even under the cape of night, and in the middle of a disagreement, Seto still managed to keep his cool. Yami admired his maturity under pressuring circumstances. One may find it difficult to establish, but Yami was grateful for being forced into the car along with being Seto and Seto alone. At the same time, while Yami was relieved for Seto being there for him, he also wanted to be upset with him. He wanted to yell at him, curse him to Tartarus and beyond, knock him out and take control of the car. The thoughts were exceedingly childish but Yami had been more than disappointed with Seto's work schedule for that week and the previous ones. He had missed Seto greatly and his state of withdrawal was painfully obvious.

Just to bask in the moment of having Seto so close to him again in such a long time, Yami held his tongue for the entire length of the car ride. He had no idea where Seto was driving him to. And he almost didn't care. For a brief moment, he didn't even care if the two of them got back in time for Yūgi to wake up in his own bed. Slowly, the proud ruler allowed his haughty facade to weaken and leaned sideways towards Seto. Arms still crossed however, he shut his eyes and rested his head against Seto's shoulder. Piercing blue eyes darted instantly to the smaller male next to him, but only lingered on his form for half a second before returning ahead of him. Without a word, Seto slowed the car down and snaked an arm around Yami's shoulders. He gave him an affectionate squeeze. They soon reached a stoplight. Seto turned his head to give Yami a better look and barely had time to lean forward before Yami gripped his shirt and claimed his mouth in a strong potent kiss. Their tongues battled the other; tasting, devouring, playing, adoring. Their bodies moved as a unified shadow against the stark glow of the peeking moon above. After a minute of their long overdue embrace, Seto pulled away and removed his arm from around Yami. From that moment on, for the remainder of the ride, the two of them kept to themselves as if the kiss never happened.

OoO

Seto had driven them to a secluded area that only a few in this day and age knew about from being told from their ancestors centuries past. The area had a breath-taking view of the city and all that have witnessed such a sight inwardly engraved into their hearts and minds that this city was _theirs_. But in contrast, the view was the last thing on their minds; Seto's eyes were narrowed on Yami while the former ruler glowered at the dirt at his feet.

The stress, the withdrawal, the need he had for Seto and his presence, the strength he offered in order to give Yami that extra boost he needed—all that had been troubling him thus far... Yami's lips easily relinquished the freedom of the chained words it had been holding back for so long. Yami told Seto everything.. He spoke of his fears of regaining his memories; he told of his concerns of their relationship and what would happen between them should he return to his afterlife; he scolded Seto on not keeping a more secure watch over his things, namely his cell phones, and most importantly...

"I don't want to leave you," Yami uttered openly. After spending months hesitating on how strongly and how deeply he truly felt for Seto, effortlessly, the words finally emerged. The weight they carried left both of them with the emotional burden its entirety allowed. If they hadn't shared such a mutual feeling, nothing would be felt at all and Yami's statement would have been no different than the shifting breeze of the wind. Formless and invisible.

But now, nothing was being held back. Nothing. Now, it was Seto's turn to confess. His cool eyes analyzed Yami with an intricate scrutiny, "I already told you. You are not leaving me. I won't allow you to."

"But Seto, I have to do do this..."

"Because of some destiny nonsense you want to believe in?"

"No, because, this is the last thing I know that I should do..."

"What you should do is stay where you belong," Seto warned, scooting closer to Yami so their arms touched. Yami accepted the notion, but spoke nothing of it. The comfort alone was good enough for him, but his internal dilemmas still remained, "I would if I knew where it was. It can't be here in this world."

"Do you always have to be like this? You're always so tragic..."

Ignoring the musing, Yami continued on; elbows atop his knees and hands folded beneath his chin, "Where else would I belong, Seto, if not within my destiny?"

"...With me..." Seto offered, glaring at Yami in a way that caused his other to meet eyes with him.

"..." While he considered those words, Yami spoke nothing in return.

"Even you've said that before..." Seto smirked lightly. His expression broadened to an almost-smile when the realization played over Yami's face. "I... You overheard me- So you WERE listening on the phone that night!"

"I was," he grinned, "Glad I was, too."

"Why, for your research?" Yami huffed.

"...Don't mock me, Yami."

"What?" he questioned. His eyes fluttered between Seto's as the taller of the two leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of Yami in the grass. As he continued to near closer, Yami began to lower himself onto his back.

"...You," Seto answered; his locks barely brushing over Yami's bangs, "Because of you, why else? Look, you are not leaving anywhere."

"?Seto?"

"I spoke with Ishizu this morning..."

"And?"

"She's discovered a way for you to remain here in this time."

"!"

"But there's a catch."

"And that is?"

"A challenge. I surmise that dueling is involved somehow. If you win, you stay. And, you obtain your own body."

"!"

"But if you lose..."

"...I understand... ...Seto...?"

"You don't have to ask. I'm going to duel against you."

"Seto..." Yami trailed off, giving his rival an odd look. He appreciated and admired the will and determination Seto had towards wanting to keep him here, but...

"...I'm serious. Don't think I'm going to just let you win just so you can stay"

"Then, you're not going to throw the match?" Yami wondered candidly, pressing his hands against Seto's chest to gently push him up, "We can have countless boundless duels afterwards," he added; nicely telling Kaiba that by dueling him or challenging him in any game, he was sure to lose as the end result of it.

"You still owe me a rematch and I am not backing down"

"I don't know Seto," Yami pondered, shaking his head lightly, "While I'd love to duel against you... under those circumstances, I don't feel comfortable doing it. I wouldn't want to be forced to leave you like that..."

"... ….." Seto frowned at the idea of him losing to Yami again. Even with all the building resolve he was harboring to finally battle Yami for a great cause still might not be enough when facing him. One who was determined and used the same tactics over and over would most likely resume getting the same conclusions. Nonetheless, Seto continued to listen to see how much he agreed or disagreed with his rival's decisions.

"I think Yūgi should be the one to duel me instead..."

"..." That was not something Seto wanted to hear. His eyes narrowed even further and his lips thinned to a crisp taut line.

"He deserves this. After all I've put him through..." Yami paused, skirting around using the word "betrayed", " Yūgi deserves to-"

"I don't want to hear about that runt, your pathetic friends or anyone else!" Kaiba proclaimed, pulling Yami into a sudden tight hug. The action caught an unexpected Yami by surprise. It would seem that he wasn't the only one who needed to get all his emotions out in the open. Inquisitively, he peered up at Seto as best he could, in which, he could only see the profile of his hair. Yami could feel the weight of Seto's jaw on his shoulder, and its heaviness only doubled once he felt it tremble. He couldn't tell if it was out of anger, frustration, remorse or possibly even...

Then, he understood.

"S...Seto...?" Yami questioned, concerned. He had never witnessed Seto like this before. Part of him was relieved while the other was petrified- not of the emotions being spilled, but that they were the exact same that he felt himself. It was like being faced with a mirror you didn't want to look at from knowing exactly what you would see that no one else could. Only, Seto was his mirror and while Yami loved looking into Seto's eyes, he didn't just see his own reflection. He saw his reflection alongside Seto's. A whole. Unity. One. They were one and the same. Complete. Perfect and imperfect at once.

"You are all that thrills me... that gives me a purpose to reign...You are what I live for... An example of what I strive to be like..."

"But... Seto, what about Mokuba?"

"You... are not Mokuba. And stop trying to change the subject... I do not permit you to leave..." But he knew Yami too well. Yami was stubborn, just like him. If Yami felt it best to leave, then he certainly would.

"Seto..."

"I mean it. I'm letting you make the choice now. But choose wrong, and I'll make sure my security team sees you back in my presence within the same hour."

"Haha..." Yami chuckled airily, "I would expect nothing less. It's just like you to keep a close eye on what you deem as yours."

"You are mine. I thought we've established this already..." he trailed off and his voice turned serious. Delicately, he cupped Yami's cheeks in his hands and brought his chiseled face to his. Their noses touching, Seto brushed his fingers along the side of Yami's face with one hand and held his chin between a finger and his thumb with the other. "Promise me..." he breathed, "Give me your word that you won't leave and make me go chasing after you to track you down and drag you back..."

"Hahaha... and you call me dramatic."

"..." Seto didn't respond. He didn't exactly share the amusement that Yami did right now. A very important part of his life was on the line. With a sigh, Yami curled his fingers about the folds of Seto's shirt, "I know... I'm serious too."

"... I don't think you realize how serious I am..."

"... … …."

"I know you've thought about it..."

"I have..."

"Then don't..."

"...Seto..." Yami hesitated, beginning to tense. Gently, Seto brought Yami's mouth to his and kissed him deeply. Such a kiss was followed by another, and another until the two of them had begun to roll around in the grass. When they ceased, Yami was on his back with Seto above him. Without a word, Seto lent Yami his hand and pulled him up to a sitting position. Quietly, the two of them sat side by side, simply taking in the night and the other's company.

After a minute of silence, Seto glanced to Yami, "In a few hours, it'll be morning. When do you want me to take you back so that runt can wake up in his own bed?"

"Idon'twanttogoback" Yami spoke altogether in a hurried whisper. Seto raised an interested brow at this and awaited a sound explanation. This was new, not that he was complaining. "Then, what do you propose we do?"

"Talk."

"Talk? Haven't we talked enough?"

"Those were confessions, Seto..."

"And?"

"And..." Yami smiled, leaning his head against Seto's arm and nuzzling into the expensive fabric. With the hint of a chuckle on his lips, he uttered something that Seto had asked him months ago, "So... what's your favorite color?"

To this, Seto gazed at Yami closely. The luminance of the moon shined directly across his eyes, illuminating the warmth of their hues in a reddish tint. With a rare captivated smile, Seto touched his forehead to Yami's and replied, "_Scarlet_."

OoO

WHEW! This took forever! So much banter n junk. Dah well. And the song "2ool Masr" is an Egyptian football rap song. Thanx to Toka for that!

_**OOC!**_

Ishizu: There is no smexing ritual

Kaiba: WHAT

Ishizu: But there is a body splitting one.

Kaiba: TELL ME

Ishizu: Beg me

Kaiba:...

Ishizu: Kidding. Be patient

Kaiba: WHAT ARE THESE STRANGE WORDS YOU SPEAK. KEEP YOUR MYSTIC GARBAGE TO YOURSELF!

Ishizu:... ... ... ... k

Mokuba: DOOD! Seto when I asked if you had a girlfriend of a boyfriend in the last few chapters, I didn't expect the main character of YGO! Go 'head!

Yami: I have more angst! Seto!

Seto: Be quiet and kiss me

Yami: *kisses*

Yūgi: Hey what about me?

Yami and Seto: *kiss kiss*

Yami: Seto I love you! And you love me! I'm so mad at you for making me wait weeks to talk to you or see you!

Seto: …

Yami: Don't you love me too?

Seto: Who are you?

Yami: *pout*

Yami: So how are you gonna make it up to me?

Seto: In the next chapter, I'll show you...

_**OOC!**_

-Mel


	9. Betrayed

_**A/N: This chapter was originally longer, but taking Moon's advice, I decided to chop it in half... Although after proofing and tweaking, it ended up breaking 9 pages anyway. Oh well 9 is better than 12+!**_

_**A/N: I wanted to strangle this chapter. SO MUCH ANGST! I hate THIS CHAPTER! I'm tired of looking at it!**_

_**A/N: And by the way, please don't hate me! ^^; **_

Beyond His Body

Chapter 9

OoO

It was nearly sunrise by the time Yami returned home to the game shop. The exhausted royal barely had the energy to keep one foot in front of him as he trudged into the kitchen. There, he made Yūgi a small but filling breakfast of cereal, buttered toast, a glass of water and a side of over easy eggs. Both his body and mind were so fatigued from constant emotional fluctuation, he didn't pay much attention to his actions and nearly dropped a few eggshells into the frying pan along with the yolks. Thankfully, he stopped himself before Yūgi's surprise breakfast became a a first class disaster and readied the table. After all of that was taken care of, Yami dragged his feet over to the couch in the Living Room where he usually kept the cell phone hidden during the day. Because of the incident the night before, the device was still in pieces strewn about the carpet. Thankfully, its repair only consisted of replacing the battery, sim card and back cover to their proper places. While Yami wasn't the best when it came to handling electronics, he seemed to easily figure out where the pieces went; it was just as if he were simply completing a puzzle.

A puzzle... like himself and Seto. The two of them were both like incomplete segments of two different assortments. Fruition wouldn't equate to much by one of them alone; only when their pieces intermingled was when an actual result would be formed. It was the same as having two different pieces that were from different puzzles and there shouldn't have been any way possible of joining these two objects together. But when they are, they are a perfect fit. The impossible seemed quite feasible between the two of them when in most usual situations such things should not be. Both Yami and Seto had a way of bending and breaking the rules to what was best suited for the moment. If they hadn't, the virtual reality pods would have never been made, Yami never would have needed to sneak out to meet with or talk to Seto late at night, the two of them wouldn't have had rather many a lover's quarrel, nor would they have gained a deeper understanding of the other in a short amount of time. And to think, all of this started with a visit to the Kaiba mansion just for Yūgi to help Mokuba with his homework. It was funny how things had a way of falling together sometimes.

After he reassembled the missing pieces and turned the phone on, memories of what had transpired just last night and earlier that morning with Seto and Mokuba finding out their secret crept into Yami's vacant thoughts. And same as before, the souring guilt returned steadfast to its perch atop Yami's shoulders. How could he have been so careless? Did he really miss Seto that much to let his guard down that much? Still, there was no excuse for his behavior.

"... …."

As troubled as he was with himself, along with his listless actions of the previous night, there was no point in dwelling over it now. Discreetly, he returned the phone to its hiding place beneath the sofa cushion, then sighed. He placed his fingertips to his forehead as if to soothe the throbbing headache that had been brewing for quite a while. There was a familiar waver in his consciousness that he deduced as Yūgi preparing to wake up soon. He needed to rest this body now so that some of its fatigue would be somewhat lifted. Without wasting more time on useless thoughts, Yami laid atop the sofa and stretched out his arms and legs. Then, he shifted onto his side, bringing his knees close to his chest. It was one of the positions Yūgi often conformed to when in deep sleeps. Perhaps when the little one saw himself in it, he would think he had slept more than what was actual reality. No sooner had Yami shut his eyes, did the form of Yūgi take its counterpart's place. He remained asleep for a few minutes more and rolled onto his other side. But since he was on the couch and not his bed, he tumbled onto the floor instead face first. Luckily, the Millennium Puzzle didn't break his fall as well or else he'd be doing far more resting of the more permanent sort.

"Gllgghld! Ungh... Who put this floor here...?" he sleepily wondered, looking around the room. Lifting his spiky head, he recognized the sofa and blinked, "Oh, the sofa? But... how did I get here?"

After finishing his breakfast, Yūgi made a beeline to the front door to be ready to greet with his friends at whatever time they arrived when a sudden series of beeps rang in the air. Startled by the new sound, Yūgi jumped nearly a foot in his skin. While he waited for his heart to calm down a bit, he didn't move an inch. Intently, he listened as another series of beeps pass. What was that noise? Where was it coming from? He jogged from the front door to inspect behind the sofa, then under it until he realized the sound was emitting from inside of it.

"What is that...?" he wondered rhetorically, dropping to his knees. While Yūgi was very curious to uncovering this new discovery, he was also very cautious about the idea of sticking his hand in and obtaining whatever it was. Closing one eye, as if it could help shield him from whatever mishap that could backfire in his face, Yūgi hesitantly lifted the cushion and gasped from what he saw. It was a cell phone. At least he thought it was. It was one of those blocky-looking Blackberry models he had heard so much about. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he scooped the device up in one hand. Its screen was dimmed and the icon for the battery was constantly blinking. Obviously, the batteries were low and the beeping attested to that.

"Huh? Where did you come from?" Yūgi pondered cutely to the phone, rotating it at different angles to gain a better look. It was definitely one of those high end Blackberry phones he had seen many people with briefcases in suits use while in their fancy cars on their way to work, "Did a customer leave this here? Why was it under the couch?" he continued to speculate. Did the spirit use it? Did someone let him borrow it? Maybe he could find some answers before the phone died from checking the call log. It took him a minute or two to figure out how to work the thing, but he managed to find what he was looking for. And what he saw shocked him into awed disbelief.

"N-no way!"

Almost every call listed was late at night, after he had gone to sleep- to some concealed number of zeros and ones. Only a few of the calls were incoming, dated yesterday with a minute interval in-between each of them. Whomever this caller was, they certainly wanted to stay hidden. Maybe it was a bill collector? Wait, why would someone who could afford one of these have any bills? In that same token, the question answered itself. Deciding a bill collector being a high possibility, Yūgi nodded to himself, then skimmed over the numbers again. In his haste, he overlooked one of the numbers that had a name crammed next to it: "Big Bro #2". And just as his luck would have it, the phone gave one final beep before shutting off completely. With no way to backtrack his findings, the befuddled youth tossed the phone on the couch and stood up.

"That was weird... What does it all mean...?"

Disturbed as much as he was confused, he tried to search his brain for a connection. If a costumer did leave this here, how did it end up in the Living Room? From all the customers he had seen enter, even before Grandpa went on his trip to visit Egypt, none of them wandered into that area. Sure, they could have dropped the phone in the doorway or near the counter but it didn't make sense of how it ended up under the sofa cushion. None of his friends had fancy high-end phones like this. Whomever it belonged to had to have quite a comfortable budget.

Stumped, his eyes glanced upto the sofa and outlined its shape. He woke up here, so that meant the spirit must have been laying in the same spot. Did he know the phone was under him? Maybe he knew who the phone belonged to.

"Wait, why am I putting so much thought into this? I'm sure it was a mistake. People misplace things all the time," Yūgi smiled weakly, trying to reassure himself. If this was such a common and simple matter, why did he feel so compelled to solve it? He felt like he had to understand its cryptic meaning for benefit of himself as well as for the spirit within him. And anything that could help the spirit was worth identifying. Yūgi would do anything to aid his companion by any means that he was able to accomplish, for better or for worse. Anything.

Just then, there were a few knocks at the front door, "Yuuuuugiiii! We're heeerrrre!" Anzu's voice sang from behind it.

"Ah, I'm coming! Just a sec!" he called back, stumbling towards the door. As he opened the door and greeted his friends, his mind still circulated all the clues he had uncovered. "Big Brother", expensive phone under the sofa almost like it was hidden there, encrypted phone calls taken place mostly after he had gone to bed... It didn't make any sense to him, yet he still couldn't shake the feeling of having the wool pulled over his eyes somehow... But the Pharaoh wouldn't do that. Yūgi trusted him most of all... didn't he?

OoO

Secluded within the labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle, Yami's spirit drifted in heavy thought. What was his best choice? He had broken his promise to Yūgi. He betrayed him, using his body to sneak out and visit Seto. Even he was taken advantage of by Yami, although not intentionally. Ever since Seto designed those pods and made it so the two of them could delve into and explore their feelings for each other more closely, Yami had gotten very used to it and expected it often. He took Seto, his availability and his invention for granted for his own selfish reasons. Although those reasons were mutually shared with Seto, Yami still had himself to blame for them. He was still "alive" in this time by accident and needed to return to his afterlife to balance things out. But then Seto happened. And once he played an even larger role in Yami's life, everything duty and honor he thought he had to do was tossed into the air. He wanted Seto, he wanted to remain with him for as long as he could. Yet, he was on borrowed time. He had to be honest with himself. Without a body of his own, there was no possible way he and Seto could stay together. Yami's thoughts wavered back to the night Seto had him "delivered" to his office so they could talk. It was a time they shared a few real kisses—a memory Yami would always hold dear no matter how soaked in guilt it was. Also during that night, Seto had stated something that feared Yami into believing their relationship would have ended there. Perhaps it should have. Maybe it would have been better to break things off. Perhaps him leaving so they wouldn't have to suffer with such a delicate subject any longer was the better volition to lean towards. But, he gave Seto his word that he wouldn't leave him. He promised. Although, he also gave his word to Yūgi that there was nothing going on between himself and Kaiba that the little one needed to worry his head about. Things had reached a point of Yami not being even able to trust himself and his own emotions and wants—exactly as he feared what would happen. He had betrayed the two main individuals he cared for the most, with one of them gaining more respect from him than the other.

Yes, Yami was a liar. Yes, he was a hypocrite and yes, he had betrayed. Despite his affectionate and selfish reasons for doing so, both intentionally and unintentionally, most of all, Yami was human. He had emotions, thoughts, doubts, beliefs and love. He became ensnared by the latter and didn't realize how far he was being reeled into its depths until he began to run out of air. He had two choices: to either slice its tether around him or allow himself to be vacuumed deeper into its core. Over the years, there had been quite a few times when he had chosen Seto over Yūgi or his friends and now, this present was no different.

That was enough. He didn't want to continue to litter his mind with a resounding constant of incomplete thoughts any longer for today. He was tired of debating to himself about it and he knew Yūgi was tired of waiting on his next move. At a loss, Yami closed his eyes and allowed himself to weightlessly drift.

'… Seto ...what should I do...?'

OoO

"What? Did I stutter? I said, you're staying here. Period." Kaiba finalized sternly from behind his desk. It was now the afternoon and Mokuba had been ushered urgently into Seto's office after returning abruptly from Europe. After Seto returned to Kaiba Corp after dropping Yami off at the game shop, he made a quick phone call to have Mokuba extracted from where he was and be brought back to Domino. The adolescent was less than thrilled being separated from his girlfriend like that and disliked the reason being because of what he learned the night before. At least, that was the hunch he had for Seto's reasoning to drag him away from Rebecca. But she heard Yami confess too! Why didn't Seto make the both of them come back together? It just wasn't fair!

Mokuba loved his older brother, but sometimes his antics could be just a little unreasonable. As Mokuba matured, gone was the blind "yes-man" that would jump at doing anything and everything the great "Lord Big Brother" wanted. Since his last birthday, Mokuba had formed a little more free will towards his own opinions and thoughts. Even the great big brother was capable of being wrong, and now was one of those times, he thought.

"Awwww what? Come on, Seto! I'm nearly 16 now, you can't keep treating me like your little kid brother, you know!" he sharply griped, "I'm at that rebellious age, after all!" In his disappointment towards his elder, he stood with one ankle crossed over the other, both arms folded behind his head and his eyes elsewhere other than Seto in the room. With a girl being one of the main reasons for their conflict, Mokuba was behaving quite opposingly. For his age, it was a rightful happening; for Seto's current mood, it was a headache. His lengthy fingers steepled together in front of his mouth, Seto peered stoically at Mokuba. Hours worth of documents and printed graphs rested beneath his elbows, pinned to the desk top. He set aside keeping within his usually hectic schedule to both tame and discipline his younger sibling with matters of the heart. His own.

"I said. You. Are. Staying. Here. If Rebecca misses you that badly, she can send you a postcard."

"What?" Mokuba shot back in a tone much harsher than he originally intended it to be while he darted his eyes towards his brother. His standoffish behavior wilted away while a reckless emotion took its place. "You can't do that to her! She's been waiting all this time to see me! I mean, you let me go over there, which was great, then you have Roland drag me back and now I can't go back to see her this week?"

Seto's eyes narrowed into a fine glare at his brother's choice in words towards him. In a thin, calm voice that was far beyond the opposite of his mood right now, he answered, "No."

"But! She's having a tournament this week and I promised her I'd be there!"

"Whoops. Looks like that can't happen," Seto snorted, switching his gaze to the work below him. There was a shift in Mokuba's poise that he didn't see but only heard. Then the sound of his sneakers against the carpet neared closer to the desk in muffled steps. The youth had a bone to pick and like most youngsters who thought they were in some sort of love, he was going to speak his mind to stand up for his girl, "Let me guess..." he began, his voice merely a few degrees above Seto's usual condescending approach, "This has nothing to do with Rebecca and me spending too much time together, does it? This is about what me and 'Becca heard last night, isn't it?"

To this, Seto flinched very slightly, but Mokuba noticed it clearly. When someone usually sat straight for a multitude of hours, it was easy to take note of any light movement they'd make. Seto paused before responding to that question. It pained him to even think about what happened, yet his somber expression did well in not broadcasting that. While having his privacy peeked into by his brother of all individuals, Yami's behavior that night irritated him far more. However, that was past now and the past, he believed, deserved to be crushed.

"The two of you heard nothing about us, "Seto pressed in a flat voice, "The two of you know nothing and if you think you know otherwise, then we will have a problem."

"Oh yeah?"

"Don't test me, Mokuba... Baby brother or not, if you think you're man enough to step to me, I _will_ put you in your place," Seto clarified very crisply. That statement wasn't a threat. It was an affirmation and a solid one at that. Seto may have loved Mokuba, but he was not going to stand for being walked all over by anyone.

"...Hmmm..."

An offbeat silence set between them. For the first time in his life towards Seto, Mokuba just...didn't give three bits. His lips gradually parted and his chest rose as he breathed his first word of retaliation, "Honestly..."

"Honestly, what," Seto snapped.

"Honestly, Seto, I don't care that the two of you were sword fighting..."

Seto said nothing, but the new glare he sported certainly did. It was a look only a sibling could be immune to, which was a blessing in Mokuba's case. To Seto's silence, the youth continued on, "And I definitely don't care to know that the two of you were fudge-packing each other..."

"Mokuba-!" Kaiba vociferated, pushing himself up from his seat. He was practically fuming at this point. But instead of flying over the desk and drop-kicking his little baby brother square in the face, he decided to be as calm as he could and remain where he was. Where in the world did Mokuba pick up a term like that? The boisterous teen gave a faint triumphant smirk from how angry he had gotten his brother. Perhaps it was a Kaiba brothers trademark? Whatever it was, it was soon milked for all it was worth.

"Nothing to say, big brother?"

"You do not want me to say what I have to right now..."

"If I can't talk about your relationship and the SEX you had with him, then don't bring my girlfriend and me into your problems!" Mokuba huffed, slamming a palm down atop the desk, "Tell me, Seto, did YOUR condom break?"

Seto twitched. It took all he had to withhold lashing out at his brother for speaking so boldly about things he didn't understand. Thankfully for the both of them, Mokuba pulled away and turned on his heels.

"Whatever, I don't wanna hear it anyway!" In a fit of adolescent rage, the mouthy adolescent dashed past Seto's desk and fled to the balcony. A little too hastily, Kaiba made chase after him, "Mokuba! Get back HERE!" he called. He couldn't believe he was getting ridiculed by a 15 year old. Granted, he wasn't that much older than him, but how dare he get into his sex life! What he did to Yami was his own business, just like everything Mokuba did in general, especially with a girl involved! Angrily, Seto pushed open the balcony doors and was met with an unruly, unwelcomed sight.

Stark hair the hue of a blank void sauntered in the graze of a light breeze; glinting rows of teeth in the form of a wicked grin were enhanced by the deep brown eyes as its centerpiece. Around its neck was the Millennium Ring. With it as the main focus, the garish top and length trench coat beneath it seemed less than secondary. As Kaiba coldly beheld the presence of the intruder that now stood before him, the bickering he had with his brother had already begun to melt away and acidity swiftly took its place.

Mokuba was nowhere in sight and the only one who was out of place enough to know what happened was standing right in front of him with a haughty smile. Before Seto could demand to know where his brother was or question Bakura's reasoning for being on his property in the first place, the shady thief graced Seto with an eerie chortle before he spoke, "Well, hello there Kaiba. Fancy meeting you here," he announced with mock familiarity, "And don't worry your pretty little mullet head about that brother of yours, I've already put him to bed."

"What did you do to Mokuba and where is he," Seto seethed in a jaw-clenching growl.

To this, Bakura nonchalantly shrugged and flicked his bangs from in front of his eyes with a twitch of his neck, "Hard of hearing, are we? I said I put him to bed. See for yourself," he jeered. He moment he made even the slightest alter in his position, Seto prepared himself for almost anything. He was ready to bum rush that fool off the balcony if the opportunity presented itself well enough. As tempting as it was, all murderous impulses were probably best left put on hold until he located his brother.

With three small sidesteps, Bakura moved to his left; the flicker of dark hair much like that of Mokuba's was rendered visible pressed against the thief's back. As he moved more to the side, half of the boy's body was shown. The youth was unconscious on his feet, slumped limply against Bakura's back. After he moved aside enough, Mokuba's body began a free-fall towards the concrete and would have given him a nasty gash if Seto hadn't dropped to a knee to save him in time.

"Mokuba?" Seto called, his voice heavily laced with concern for his baby brother, "Mokuba?"

"I~~~I wouldn't worry too much about him, Kaiba. He is merely 'sleeping' after all," the artifact robber rectified. Then a toothy grin shaped his mouth, "At least unconscious, he won't be prone to getting kidnapped at random, you know! That's a good thing! He's quite like a princess for that one, if you ask me...However, my business is with you, not that little pipsqueak!"

"Tell me, now..."

No verbal answer was given immediately. Instead, Bakura casually reached into the back pocket of his overcoat and retrieved an item. Assertively, Kaiba's eyes darted between those deceptive tawny eyes and the closed fist that neared closer to him. His focus remained pinned to that hand until it opened to reveal...

"The Millennium Eye?" he questioned absent-mindedly from the sheer unexpectedness of seeing it again. Seto didn't want anything to do with those ancient trinkets, and especially not with the man this particular one once belonged to. It crossed his mind to even demand how Bakura even obtained it from the flamboyant card developer. But as his glare lifted from the item and towards its pilferer's eyes, a sudden surrounding of pitch black claimed Seto's vision and anything afterward didn't register. He was knocked out cold by a blow to the head from something he didn't get the chance to see. His heavy body dropped to the callous floor of the balcony, just seconds away from Mokuba's. Seeing his work here was done, Bakura brushed off his coat and then departed from the scene.

OoO

Many hours later, away in the torrid locale of Egypt, a life- changing event was preparing to take place. Three companions stood surrounding their beloved friend while he stood between the eve of a fateful unraveling and their silent support. The Egyptian tablet that hid the secrets of the Pharaoh lay before him. He knew it was wrong to leave so abruptly like this, but he believed it was for the best. The answers that were needed were awaiting to be released right in front of him; the tablet and the god cards were the only items left to be activated.

He was betraying someone vitally important to him by doing this but it needed to be done. There had been too much procrastination with turmoil and suffering as its result. He loved his other and hated to make the choice for him, but obtaining the truth was something needed to be fulfilled. With a quiet, deep-felt apology, he held up the god cards to the stone tablet and soon became engulfed in its sudden light.

OoO

Ugh this chapter _ Anyways, I hope no one was offended by the terms Mokuba used.

On a random note, good chunks of this chapter was written and tweaked to the song of "In The Bargain" from Sonic Shuffle. Check it on Youtube or someplace if you don't know what it is already. ...Yes... this goofy, stupid song got me in a nice writing mood for all the seriousness and angst being tossed around. I've written a super intense moment b4 to an even goofier sounding song!

Sigh...

ooc!

Yami: I HAVE MORE ANGST. Should we stay together or break up?

Seto: I dunnuh

Yūgi: YOU GUYS SHOULD BREAK UP!

Mokuba: NO FUDGE-PACKING, BIG BROTHER!

Seto: But Yami loves it

Yami: …...! I do so! Guilty as charged!

Mokuba: So who went to Egypt?

Seto: You broke your promise to me

Yami: ….

Yūgi: ...

Yami: No I didn't!

Bakura: I'm actually in this story. I'm flattered! And guess what, Mokuba? I don't kidnap you this time!

Mokuba: YAHOO! But wait, I still get knocked out tho...boooo...

Bakura: What do you have to say to that, Millennium Eye?

Millennium Eye: …...

Bakura: Well what do you expect from an inanimate object, right Pharaoh?

Yami: … … … ..

Seto: … … …

Yami: Can you smex me now, please already?

Seto: Aren't you in Egypt?

Yami: Well-

Seto: THEN NO.

Yami: But I didn't break my promise! I swear I swear I swear!

Priest Seto: My Phara- oops my part isn't in this chapter yet. My mistake! *leaves, then comes right back*

Seto: …. ….Tell me you are **not** doing this guy

Bakura: I would...

Yūgi, Mokuba, Seto Priest Seto, Yami: ….

Bakura:... ...Did I say that out loud?

Yami, Priest Seto and Seto: ….MIND CRUSH!

Yami: Hey you two can't do that! I'm the only one with enough allotted True Main Character Points to do that move!

Yūgi: I thought I was the true main character!

Mokuba, Seto, Priest Seto, Yami: Shut up, Yūgi!

Yūgi: Awwwaawwwww...

Bakura: Bollocks! Is this the only cameo I get in this story?

ooc!

To be continued

-Mel


	10. And Ultimately

Beyond his Body

Chapter 10

OoO

The word "incensed" had now become an extreme understatement to explaining Seto's anger. He was lividly beside himself. Not only did he fail to take notice of or prevent Bakura's infiltration into his and Mokuba's "castle", but an event of even larger importance managed to slip by him. And the worst part about it was that he had no control over this happening whatsoever.

His stern focus remained on the endless clouds he steered through in his Blue Eyes Jet. His frigid eyes were narrowed slits, his teeth were clenched and his hands clutched the steering wheel so tautly his knuckles could have split. Yami was in Egypt! While that had bothered and also perplexed him, it angered him even more to learn that everything Yami had confessed to him the night before last was a complete farce. Everything he had seen glisten in those jewel-toned eyes, all that was breathed from those soft thin lips had spun nothing but perfect illusions and Seto was the one to be completely duped by them. He felt like such a stupid fool, but none of it made any sense. He had believed that both he and Yami had made it clear last night that they wanted to stay within the other's company more than they already had been. He thought it was already established that they were to be open and honest with each other. Instead he found that to be a complete lie.

Nearly 14 hours had passed since Seto and Mokuba had awakened from Bakura's visit. If Seto had been conscious, he would have possibly been thankful for the extra rest he always needed and often ignored. After he made certain that Mokuba was fine and supervised, he had the premises searched and demanded his quantity in security equipment to be magnified, Seto continued with his work. Bakura's little parting gift, the Millennium Eye, had been placed atop his desk At that time, the thought of giving Yami a call crossed his mind, but its prominence didn't last very long. The day was already a new one and there would be no point calling now in speculation that the runt would answer the phone instead.

Yami...

Seto had wanted to know how he was doing. Being so close to that eyesore of a Millennium Item had him remember the long-winded banter Yami had given him about the tablet of their pasts. After moments of practically glaring at it, a flash emitted from the object. The swift photon was weak enough to not need shielding from while being clear enough for all its images to be viewable. Within that second, Seto caught a glimpse of Yami, dipped in skin of mild cocoa and clothed in what looked to be rather regal appearing garb. At that moment, Seto dropped the artifact, stunned beyond all comprehension and explanation. A rush of emotions spiraled throughout him, causing a tingling chill at the back of his neck; cold sweat.

It was at that moment that he felt betrayed, foolish, lied to and horrendously vulnerable. He needed to rectify this and he had to be at Yami's side to do so. While he was beyond vexed with him, Seto still felt compelled, and wanted, to be close-to see his face- to touch him. He couldn't understand why Yami would do something like that. What reason would he have to go behind his back and skewer the heart Seto was already cautious about sharing with him. Yet, in the same instance and while he did catch Yami on thinking about leaving, that didn't sound like something Yami would do without at least telling him of his thoughts and whereabouts. For him to just outright leave was peculiar to Seto, but it did nothing to soothe his building vexation. Even with his anger was directed towards Yami, he knew something was sorely out of place here.

Such thoughts urged his acceleration towards his destination to amplify; his mind continued to be battered with looping questions that held solutions only Yami would have.

OoO

In the distant lands of merciless sun and misshaped time, Yami was trapped. Now donned in a foreign skin that was once his own, he found himself in a period of which was long diluted from his lost memories. All that had occurred upto this point was a blur. The last few things he remembered revolved around sharing a late night of verbal bonding with Kaiba and fixing Yūgi breakfast before retiring to his soul room for contemplation and reflection. He had blocked off all mental communication with Yūgi and detached himself from knowing of Yūgi's thoughts and actions. When his awareness returned to him, his surroundings had exchanged their concrete and brick for stone and sand; millions of natives chanted for him by regal title and his body had been blessed by the sun, deluged in the globe's copper signature. Just hours prior, he was Yūgi's other half and the next thing he knew, he was the Pharaoh of the Egypt cast away in the crevices of his abandoned memory. Entwined in the whims of this new contradiction, trapped in the memories of his forgotten past, everything Yami did and was exposed to happened at hasty paces but he adapted effectively.

Now, upon one of his most trusted palace steeds, he charged towards the location of someone dear to him. Or rather, more dear to his past persona. That particular individual shared the same birth name as his beloved that he had left behind. When Yami had first laid eyes on the arrogant priest and heard those familiar resonating vocals, an unnameable emotion clutched his being and squeezed at his heart. The backs of his eyes stung with the stab of a rosemary's embodiment; the voice triggered a memory of someone else. That "someone else" was a character he deemed deserving of his utmost respect and attention. That was Seto Kaiba, his rival, his partner, the main one to bring out his very best and challenge him along the way. Dare Yami think of him genuinely as his lover from the many sensual encounters the two had uncovered together. By comparison, this priest, this familiar individual, was only a near mirror of the Seto he adored and cherished. That similarity in one's likeness only went so far. Yami was not prepared to hear that powerful voice under the guise of another like his Seto and that was threatened his eyes to gloss. It was then, the first time since he had "arrived" in the place of his memory, that Yami felt like he betrayed Seto—when in actuality he didn't.

While Yami gave no direct answer to Seto's demand for him to promise to stay with him, he did intend to remain at his side at least a little longer. Ultimately, he most likely would have ended up in the same situation anyway, but that was not the case. Yami had ended up here not by his own accord, but by the one who had accused him of prolonging his responsibilities. That's right. His Aibou.

What actually happened was, Yūgi was the one who made the decision for him. The concerned teen was worried for his eidolon friend and wanted to help him make the right decision instead of procrastinating about it. Yūgi and his comrades were already planning to visit Egypt that day. None of them knew what would happen once the god cards were presented to the stone tablet. The only thought they had was for the Pharaoh to regain what he had lost. What they weren't aware of was that they had done the exact opposite. Because of their actions, Yami had lost what he had gained. And that was Seto Kaiba.

OoO

In mere minutes, the priest was found assimilated with the corrupted soul of his father. Within the same area, a furious Seto Kaiba also located Yami, dressed in the same garish rags he had seen him in in the "vision" that compelled him to find him and drag him back to Domino. Seeing Yami enraged him and equally sent tingling sensations throughout his body that made him tremendously uneasy. And seeing him next to that man who resembled him in appearances only heightened his foul mood. But he didn't dare to move closer; not yet. Instead, he bore witness to a great battle Yami fought against his manipulated priest and the victory that followed.

Afterward, while the freed priest was distracted with mourning the loss of the woman he secretly loved who met death by protecting him, seething sapphire met with blazing amaranth.

"Seto...?" Yami uttered under his breath, his lips touching the name with surprise and guilt. As puzzled for his reasons for being here, Yami was also relieved to see him again. His body tensed and he swallowed a nervous mass that had suddenly formed in his throat. His first instinct was to run to Kaiba, to explain what was going on and to make it clear that he did not leave him intentionally. Fortunately for him, in a sense, Kaiba was three steps ahead of him. No sooner were they able to drop the other's name in surprise, did Seto begin to announce his vexation.

To the priest in the near distance, all he heard was his Pharaoh growling through grit teeth and raspy whispers as if he were quarreling amongst himself. Intrigued, as well as disturbed, he gazed over his shoulder to his king. The length of his cape became cradled around his torso by a light gale scampered through. His moist eyes scurried over to their king, too proud to conceal their fresh tears and too loyal to ignore the sovereign. And with his father's eradication, the loss of the woman he cared for, all who was left was his cousin. He felt drawn to him even more now. His king was the one who he had spent the majority of his time with as they both grew together; he was his leader during the day and one that was secretly lusted after by night. The musings were quite scandalous. He was unaware of his cousin being wise to such carnal yearnings or not, but as of late, he seemed to be behaving a bit differently. It was almost as if he held the spirit of another in his body. Nonetheless, he would see to it that he stayed as close as possible to his ruler to protect him and remain with him. That is, unless his king denied him otherwise for whatever reason.

"My Pharaoh..." he began in a low, warm voice that was a result of his mourning and previous thoughts, "is everything...quite sound with you? To whom are you bickering?"

"Who is that clown..." Kaiba sneered, changing the subject of their argument temporarily to address the acknowledgment of his ancient counterpart. With a frown, Yami narrowed his eyes. If his expression were a weapon, his intellectual other would have been struck across the face and kicked between the thighs right about now, "His name is Seto and I do not appreciate you changing the subject like that! If you want us to properly talk, we cannot do it here. I need to explain!"

" 'Cannot'? What, contractions weren't invented yet?"

"Seto...!" Yami scowled harshly. Now that they've been reunited and have a chance to talk, THIS is how it turns out? Yami was far less than ecstatic!

"Pharaoh?" the priest wondered, thinking he was being called, and fully turned to meet with his ruler's back. He was staring straight at his present time doppelganger without even knowing. Perhaps that was for the better, otherwise a new argument would have broken out along with a fight over who was better suited for being close to the Pharaoh, "I have angered you in some way?"

Both Seto and Yami gave their attention to the 3rd wheel with opposing expressions: one was smugly annoyed while the other was quite upset. Upon seeing his Pharaoh so displeased, the priest hung his head and dropped to one knee. He was not in the mood for his usual arrogance and humbled himself to his avatar of god. With a firm fist to his chest, he offered a deep apology, "I ask forgiveness if I have offended you, my king. I promise to conclude my mourning shortly if that is what you wish..."

"No. That is quite all right, Seto, I apologize," Yami corrected gently. A faint smile touched the corner of his lips as he continued. Kaiba's eyes brushed over the expression before glaring coldly at his ancient mirror. Yami left him to regain his memories of this joker? They needed to talk. Now. And this was not the place to do it.

"Please, take your time and guard this area well for-" he was abruptly cut off from a certain CEO grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards the entrance of the temple-like structure before them.

"I've seen enough," Seto finalized, toting a retaliating Yami behind him. "Ah, wait! Slow down! I can walk on my own!"

"Don't make me carry you...! I'll end up throwing you!" He was actually quite serious about that.

"Wait! Seto!"

"Pharaoh?"he inquired, looking up as his king half hopped, half stumbled backwards as if he were being tugged along by some unseen force, "What is wrong? Have you been possessed as well?"

"He sure has," Seto groused, referring to the idea of Yami fleeing to Egypt without informing him while Yami barked a "NO!" at the same time.

"Wait...ah... wait for me to return to you, Seto!" he called.

"...Yes..." the priest responded, standing to his feet and catching a glimpse of his king before his form was swallowed into the darkness of the temple. And just as quickly, the slither of loneliness swept over him.

"..."

OoO

It didn't take the duo very long to reach one of the furthest chambers used for rituals and no sooner had the doors been shut, Kaiba's rage pierced the stone walls, "Why did you lie to me?" he demanded, nearing very dangerously towards Yami with a racing glare in his eyes. The echo of his words bounced around the room, its vibration assaulting all surrounding it and strengthening their venom. If anything tangible had been close to him, aside from Yami that is, it certainly would have become an airborne projectile.

"Look, I said I needed to explain!"the regal returned hotly.

"I don't want your explanation!" Seto hissed back, his voice unevenly wavering between controlled rage and teetering on the edge of its breaking point, "I want to know WHY you LIED to me. You gave me your word that you wanted to stay with me! And I find out you're HERE in EGYPT? Do you even realize how infantile that sounds to me?"

"Seto, please! This is not called for!" Yami raised his voice to match his other's, "Do not ridicule me for events you do not understand!"

"I don't NEED to understand, Yami, don't you get it?" he roared, suddenly grabbing the other fiercely by the shoulders. His breathing was shallow and very jagged, causing a quaver throughout his entire body. He glared frigidly at Yami, not caring that he openly let a few things slip about his feelings that he had made sure to keep verbally concealed. His pain was evident; his lack of control because of it flashed in his wild eyes. He was hurt, and wouldn't allow Yami to speak clarity to him to be rid of this misunderstanding. He needed to vent, he needed to get his anger across to Yami, he needed to let go. The mere thought of losing his other half frightened him immensely and either he would leave this place with Yami, reconciled, or without him never wanting to see him again. While the latter sounded more absolute, Seto knew he wouldn't be able to be separate from Yami for long. As long as he knew the other still drew breath and held a thriving heartbeat in his chest, Seto would track him down wherever he may run to. As much as he may have wanted to do otherwise, as of right now, he couldn't bring himself to do it just yet. If he did, he would label himself for behaving just as childishly if not more than believed Yami to be guilty for. And he couldn't be outdone like that; more importantly, no matter what he did, he would always be drawn back to his alluring rival in some shape or form. Their connection was just far too great.

"Seto, listen to me!" Yami tried again, with a desperate, almost strained, beseeching. He already knew Seto wouldn't listen but he hoped in vain anyway that something he'd say or had said would be considered. With cautious hands, Yami reached out to cup Seto's face. A sharp gasp tore through the room, then as its audible multiples faded, a deep silence pronounced itself. For three whole seconds, Seto found himself thoroughly lost from the embrace. The warmth, the tenderness, the love in Yami's touch were things Seto secretly loved to be exposed to. For a moment, his breath hitched in his throat and his eyelids fluttered in a series of confused blinks. In those gentle, precious moments, he felt closely connected to Yami in ways he had never felt before, nor ever voiced. In that very long few seconds, Seto felt extremely vulnerable. All his emotions were raw and unshielded for Yami to view and accept if he so desired right now.

However, it was a pity then that it was short lived. As if such a caress offended him, Seto jerked away from the caring gesture, roughly refusing it. "Don't you touch me!" he seethed through grit teeth. By now, this was the last straw and Yami was tired with toiling in an endless loop that got them nowhere. The emotional strain had been too much upto this point. First, he was stolen from Seto by Yūgi without a hint or warning, then ended up in a world long forgotten and erased only to be reunited with the man he was taken from and accused. He had to make Seto listen if he was not willing on his own. The fact that he was still in this room with him told Yami that Seto would not leave until some type of closure was obtained. He felt lucky for that, but this was no time for relief. Of all the things he had learned while in this place, such as ,discovering some corrupted entity named Zork was on his way to destroy his former home and having many a familiar face in his royal court nearly dulled in comparison to having a delirious partner demanding to know why a very dear promise was broken.

While Yami actually was guilty of thinking about of leaving Seto behind to pursue his destiny time and time again for the better of the both of them, he was completely innocent in this instance.

"Seto, that is enough! Now you listen to me!" Yami hissed, grasping Seto by his shirt and pulling him down low enough so that their noses nearly touched. Once a playful gesture throughout their relationship was now coated in its somber contrast this moment, "You need to calm down and listen...to me... I did not break my promise to you..."

Seto didn't respond right away. Instead, his eyes swept between Yami's in analytical calculation. Something in the pit of his stomach assured him that he was indeed hearing the truth, but being the stubborn man he was, a gut feeling was not proof enough, "There is a lie somewhere..."

"And I am telling you that I did not betray you, Seto! When I awakened, I found myself here with everyone calling me 'Pharaoh'!" Yami released a sigh and loosened his grip, allowing Seto enough room to shake the scattered bangs from out his eyes to glower at his questionable partner even better. The response Yami gave was a sincere one, "I am not certain of how I got here, but I do have a hunch."

Seto didn't say anything at first; his frigid expression spoke it all for him. And Yami could clearly decipher it as he was thinking the same thing.

Yūgi.

If Kaiba hadn't been so irritated, he would have given the thought of that runt performing such a bold move a sarcastic snort. So he found out after all what he and Yami were upto? Or perhaps, he simply decided that Yami obtaining his memories was of utmost importance and that he was stalling doing so? That probably was it, judging the midget. Knowing that the reason for Yami's procrastination was he, himself, boosted Seto's ego just a tad. But he still wasn't entirely satisfied, "... I'm not convinced you didn't have some sort of hand in this..." he stated, standing to his full height. Wordless, Yami's gaze followed every movement the taller made with thick intensity. For now, he was going to let that one go, "Why are you here?"

"To find you," Seto answered plainly with a displeased frown that could partially be seen in-between the room's shadows and hints of light from the windows and ceiling, "I told you I was not letting you leave my sight. I shouldn't have to repeat myself."

"You didn't."

"Then why ask me that stupid question"

"Because you don't believe in this sort of thing." Which was true. All Seto did after arriving to Egypt was run into Ishizu and her brothers, be suggested to stand in front of the tablet and in a shock of light, he found himself in this "world". While his intent was to track down his troublesome significant other, he ended up actually finding him completely by fluke.

He half-frowned, "I believe that you're standing directly in front of me in some recalled Halloween costume."

"So you don't believe in what's going on around you, but you believe in me?"

"Maybe. Haven't we already gone through this?"

"Hmm..." The flicker of a light smirk curved Yami's mouth for a brief moment before the seriousness of their situation crept back in and thinned his lips into a line. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard anything from Yūgi since he arrived in this place. Whenever he emerged, if he ever did, he and the little one were going to have quite the serious talk.

"Where is he..."

Yami blinked from the sudden inquiry, every slight movement of his head causing his earrings to lightly sway and jingle. The light-play in the room tossed slithers of luminous sparks about the cool gold, the sight of it catching Seto's attention.

"... Are you referring to Yūgi," Yami returned in a firm tone. Narrowed eyes was the only response Seto gave and Yami led his gaze elsewhere while in thought. As he pondered, Seto silently took in the visage of the male before him. Exotic fabrics spun from the very best cotton and silk fit about Yami's body snugly as if its design had contoured to him since birth. Weighty pieces of gold accented his regal garb, adding a touch of elegance and allure to a level Seto didn't think could be achieved. Despite him outright voicing distaste in the outfit earlier, truthfully Yami was even more awing to the senses and mightily more breathtaking than usual wearing it. Wisps of a thick fragrance articulated the rich nobility of his figure, giving his entire form the image of unfathomable challenge and sharp seduction. The only problem he really had with the ensemble was that the hem of the kilt was much too short. Just the idea of millions of others staring at Yami's legs irked him. Briskly, his mind reeled back to that priest doppelganger of his he saw previously. The way that man gazed upon HIS Yami as if he were the sole individual he held the highest respect for in all things annoyed Kaiba to the pit of his stomach. Just the thought of those glazed blue eyes etching their visual nips and bites over Yami's exposed browned skin swiftly reminded Kaiba just how much of the jealous and possessive type he was—not that he'd admit it anyway. Whether a gaze meant anything or not, Seto discouraged the natural ability for anyone to keep their eyes on HIS Yami's body.

His... Body? Suddenly, a new realization hit him and his breaths changed from long and deep to mildly quick and slightly shallow, "Yugi. Where is he..." Seto asked again with more urgency in his voice.

"I don't know. I can't contact him—Seto?" Yami immediately trailed off. There was a faraway look cast over Seto's face like one would have in the presence of some sort of unfathomable impossibility.

"... …..."

"Seto...? Seto, what is it?"

"..." Seto remained silent. Seamlessly, he trailed his eyes down to Yami. Then, his gaze softened, "Yami..." he uttered gently, causing his rival's eyes to widen. Did he miss something?

"Uh... Kaiba...?" he questioned dubiously, not making a move; he was pinned in place while he observed Seto inch closer to him in gradual and discreet advances. The gold he wore chimed faintly as Yami lifted his head a bit higher to gain a better gaze into Seto's eyes. The dim room was cast in streaks of inky shades that were stark contrasts to the pale moonlight above. The way these old structures were made, there still needed to be a moderate opening in the ceiling to allow light through. Ironic that a full moon would shine at a stressful such as this one. There was something rather quaint and mystical in its beauty washing over the eve of turmoil and suffering. It was a gorgeous sadness in its appearance like this-manipulating the shadows and casting Seto in an ethereal outline- that caused Yami to almost feel trapped. The world was ending, his lover had considered leaving him over a foolish misunderstanding, Yūgi betrayed him and if nothing was done now to rescue his people and save his world everything would cease to exist and his love would be nullified. If he let everything be destroyed, he would never know what it would be like to be thoroughly enraptured in Seto's touch.

...Touch...

Silently, Yami's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened even further. In the world of his memory, his spirit dwelled in its own vessel- its own body. All that Yami touched, smelled, tasted and heard was through his own direct senses and not through the veil of another's. Whatever Yūgi did to cause him to come to this place, it caused their consciousnesses to split and separate. That meant Yūgi was the only host of his own body while Yami thrived in the skin of his former self. But he was still who he was and who he had become over the years instead of the naive Pharaoh he once was. In this body, he was in loyal to his priest and in love with Seto Kaiba; and no one else.

"Yami..."

The smooth, deep vocals of Seto's voice trickled Yami out of his trance and he blinked before trailing his lost eyes upto the stoic sapphires of the one who held his heart captive. The obvious was now openly realized. Yami had a body of his own in this place. And since the world was on a time limit, Seto knew that this rare opportunity was temporary and may not ever come about again. They could finally be with the other in a physical means without needing to ready any special equipment. Willing minds and and desperate hearts were all that were necessary and that requirement was more than mutual.

But why did this have to occur now? The temptation was great but the moment was horrid. They were finally given the chance to make love and it was cruelly condensed. Seto obviously wanted to dominate Yami right where he stood for as long as his desire would allow. Yet, he also felt compelled to go slowly in the opposition of his impatience to have what was already his. And since he knew his other well, Yami would feel pressed for time. This, of course, was a problem—and a rather painful one at that.

"How long do we have...?" Seto uttered, hardly moving his lips to form those uncertainties. The second he breathed it, Yami understood the full meaning behind it. His lips pursed tautly and he shook his head; the clinking and sparks that flew from his gold jewelry made Seto tense and his eyes narrow further. The need to have Yami was greater than he was aware of and watching him breathe and move in such elaborately decorated clothing urged Seto to strongly want to yank it all off. He wanted to sear his lips over that browned skin and become familiar with its flavor. He wanted to ingest the reward of its sweat by both scent and tongue. He wanted to hear Yami's lustful panting while holding him close to his heart. Seto needed to be close to Yami, he needed to become a part of him, he needed to have him and strum his copious desires to their fullest.

The regal eyed his other with somber, smoldering eyes; the emotion that swirled in them was lightly enhanced from the touch of the moon and the glint of gold. Muted blonde bangs shaped about his pronounced features, causing his expression to become one of great complexity. He wanted to act on Seto's unspoken yearning, but he knew better. He knew they would get so caught up in their emotions and absolute necessity to ravish the other that the encroach of Zork and all that was perilous in this time would be pushed aside.

This was no time to be selfish, his friends needed to be contacted somehow and be warned. His priest, his cousin, needed to be alerted to pass the message onto the others of his court. Innocents needed to be escorted to the protection of the palace walls. Zork hadn't arrived yet, but he could at any point in time. They all needed to be ready... He needed to be ready... for all things. And all things also included being prepared for dealings of the heart.

"Seto, we can't..." Yami stated just above a whisper. Either of them nearly heard the proud male from how weakly and broken his command was uttered. A sudden silence pierced betwixt them and they both knew one of them was lying to themselves. Again. However, Yami continued on, "Zork may arrive here at any time. I have to warn everyone..." he claimed, seemingly trying to convince himself more than to the other. Regardless of that, Seto was quite fed up with hearing of anyone else in relation to his Yami, and especially not when the two of them were alone together like this.

Seto wanted no interruptions; no doubts. His being craved for Yami and now that he was able to freely show what he felt for him, everything else lost its meaning. Wordlessly, he reached out a finger and dipped it inside the frontal folds of the cowl around Yami's shoulders. Yami visibly hesitated a bit, but allowed Seto to tug him closer while he leaned down to kiss his forehead to Yami's.

"..S...Seto...?" his noble voice wavered as he gingerly closed his eyes. His hands automatically grasped the material of Seto's shirt, ringed fingers curling it tautly. His lashes lifted slowly, emulating the appearance of thick calligraphy brush strokes shaping his eyes. He was trapped; he was stuck, and again, it was of his own choosing. Looks like Yūgi was right twice.

"They... can wait," Kaiba finalized in a tone that made Yami's eye lids flutter from how firm and sincere he was, "Seto...what are you..." Yami began to whisper, only to be shushed with a very soft and rather smooth kiss.

Seto was doing something he had fought with in his mind the entire time he was allowed close enough to Yami to feel him breathing. It took nearly every solid restraint he had to not force Yami harshly against a wall and ravish him blindly in lusty impulse. Instead, he tasted Yami's lips lightly, should the embrace be rejected in any way in judgment of weightier circumstances. Seto didn't believe in any of this end-of-the-world nonsense. He didn't care for any "good" combating "evil"; what he wanted now transcended both polarities. All he cared about in this point in time was right in front of him, shuddering in his embrace and whispering his name. Yami was a pinnacle to him; he was a status that Seto declared to reach. And if he couldn't achieve that goal, he at least needed to be near him. Maybe that way, what Yami was would transfer over to him. While that was true, he still felt a little puzzled with what he truly wanted being with Yami. But all he could see, all he knew about him, Seto just wanted...him.

Yami was fighting inwardly as well. He would have chosen his duty over his own desires any day—however that only seemed to stand firm in the presence of those of whom he was not very familiar with or with his friends. When most situations dealt with Kaiba in their midst, Yami tended to abandon everything and everyone else dear to him for that one man; Yami would choose Seto over the world. Without Seto at his side nor in his heart, what else was there to make Yami feel complete?

They shouldn't be doing this, rare opportunity or not. Yami needed to require all of his memories and clip all malfeasance and corruption at its roots, even if he had to seal it within himself to stop it. In addition to that, if he took any much longer in this room, his loyal priest will begin to look for him. The thought crossed his mind to have his subject warn the others right this instant, but that would have been unacceptable on his part.

What was he to do? Should he take a gamble and risk his life and millions of others to be in the arms of his lover or take the same chance while fighting for the same without giving into his desires? Whichever one he chose, he would be taking a risk. Even if he left Seto right now, there was a chance he might not be able to stop Zork or anyone else to save his kingdom and then all would have been for naught. Their rare opportunity would be lost. There would be a time paradox and all life as he cherished it on the planet would end.

While Yami fought with his inner turmoil, his body had already began acting on its own; his arms had encircled around Seto's waist tightly and his fingernails may as well have ripped slits into his coat.

This night would define volumes between themselves and Yami's own judgment. This could be the last time they ever would be privileged to be near one another or even consider themselves in a relationship. If being in this place in his afterlife was what Yami had to look forward to from regaining his memories and his completing his destiny, then there would be no point for them to remain a couple—if they could even call themselves that.

But Seto didn't care if whatever they had wasn't "meant to be" or star-crossed because of the fate Yami had seemed to lean towards due to Yūgi's interference. The past, the prophecies, destiny and fate be condemned. All Seto wanted right now was Yami and it was obvious that Yami needed him twice as much.

After potent minutes their kiss quietly subsided. Yami rested his head against Seto's chest and hugged him even tighter, "Stay...Seto..." Yami ordered just above a whisper, his authoritative tone partially lost in the folds of Seto's shirt, "Stay with me..."

"Don't leave me" were the truths he wanted to speak, but he settled for the less vulnerable way they came out instead. Not that he had a problem with being open and honest with his feelings towards Seto, but in the face of possibly losing his relationship anyway, he needed to be strong about something.

"... … I already told you..." Seto began, the tones of his voice resonating in his chest against Yami's ear.

"Mm?"

"I am not letting you leave out of my sight... I am..." Seto trailed off. Inquisitive, Yami lifted his head to be able to study Seto's face. It would seem that he had hidden words that he was hesitant towards speaking as well. But he didn't have to voice them; Yami was capable of reading Seto very well. With a faint smile, Yami nodded and returned Seto's unborn words to him, "And I am yours..."

"... Yami..." Seto uttered, his voice carrying the inflection of great finality. This was it, the ultimate point of no return. If Yami was willing to carry this out to the end, he would not stop, "The choice is yours... I shouldn't have to explain anything to you-" While his tone was fairly calm, his body language was screaming to touch, to grasp and to make Yami his. But he wanted Yami to decide.

"Shh..." Yami shushed, gliding a hand behind Seto's head and standing on his toes to give his beloved a deep, loving, and sincere kiss. One thing led to another and before the kiss was broken, Yami was pushed against a wall, feeling Seto's every pent up emotion rub firmly against him. With an open-mouthed moan, Yami returned the gesture with one of his own. One of Seto's hands clutched a tuft of Yami's unruly locks while the other crept down to meander between his legs. A breathy gasp fluttered from Yami, then soon dimmed to a sultry hiss.

"A_ywah_...S...Seto... _Men fadlak_..."

OoO

ooc!

Yami: I'm in Egypt. AND IT'S ALL NOT MY FAULT! I TOLD YOU!

Yūgi: I AM GUILTY. BUT I DO NOT HAVE YAMI-ANGST.

Yami: Because you aren't the main character like me! Oh! Seto has been left in the future! Oh Seto! 1000 WORDS...CALL OUT THROUGH THE AAAAAGES. 1000 WORDS WILL CRADLE YOUUUU...something something SUSPENDED ON SILVER WIIIINGS!

Seto: Will you shut up? And who is this priest guy?

Priest Seto: Quiet you! The Pharaoh loved me before you came into the picture!

Seto: Whatever! At least I don't have a thing for dragon ladies!

Priest Seto: Says the one with a monster card obsession!

Seto: BUT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH A DRAGON/WOMAN!

Yūgi: No sex with a dragon or...

Priest Seto: No sex with a woman...?

Yami: I've wondered about that... Both of them...ANYWAY! Staying within the chapter's plot! It was Yūgi who betrayed ME and not me that had betrayed YOU, Seto! Although it was set up to look like I broke my promise and left you in the dust!

Priest Seto: What about betraying me?

Seto: You aren't important.

Priest Seto: *swats Seto with the Millennium Rod*

Seto: *socks him in the face*

Yami: …. Anyway... I find both Priest Seto and Kaiba in the mem world and theeeeen emotions get in the way.

Priest Seto: The Pharaoh loves me!

Seto: He's not him!

Priest Seto: Is too!

Seto: Is not!

Priest Seto: Is too!

Seto: Whatever. I'm gonna be the one to screw his brains out next chapter, not you.

Yami: SETO!

Seto: Don't pretend. You know you want it.

Yami: Aheh...

Zork: I'm not here in the story yet, if I'll ever actually show up at all throughout the smex, but I'm totally down for watching it.

Yami: Then where's Bakura?

Zork: Didn't you hear last chapter? That was probably his only cameo appearance! Although for those that know the storyline can guess he's still pulling strings...just wasn't mentioned again.

Voice of Bakura far off in the distant background: DOUBLE BOLLOOOOOOOOOCKS!

Yami: Did you hear something?

Seto: Did you say something just now? I was too busy imagining smexing you against multiple hard objects and surfaces.

Yami: Hey, if you're here then where's Mokuba? Did you choose me over him and his safety again?

Seto: Hmm? *shock* ! *runs off*

Yami: Eh... I do that with my friends and Yūgi all the time.

Yūgi: What?

Yami: SETO IS NEARBY! GOTTA RUN! *takes off*

Yūgi: ….

ooc!

Egyptain words- Aywah- Yes/yeah, Men fadlak- Please(m)

lol and the Priest Seto/ Kaiba attacking each other is based off of a 3 frame animation someone made of them doing just that.

-Mel


	11. Be Loved

_**A/N: To those that don't know, my laptop died and has transmigrated itself to being a paperweight. So I had to use my phone to thumb up the majority of this confounded chapter. LEMON ALERT, of course.**_

_**A/N: This chapter was originally intended to be longer... but 10 pages is enuff...and sum scenes were cut to be more elaborated on in the next chapter instead of crammed into this one... otherwise this chap woulda been 20 pages or so...**_

OoO

_Beyond His Body_

Chapter 11

OoO

The vast heavens stirred with a tempestuous expanse that depicted both approaching gloom as well as a foreshadowing prelude. At any time, a corrupted entity would make its way through sacred and pious lands, draining the life from it. None would be certain as to when. Yet, whenever such did show its detestable visage within proximity, one particular priest would make sure that entity was never seen again as a threat to Egypt or its people. Even in the absence of his Pharaoh, that silent declaration was a promise. Approximately 19 minutes had been devoured by time from when the priest's cousin, and king, had strangely entered into the structure behind him. Since his leave, Seto had kept his eyes above on the swirled masses of dark clouds merging amongst themselves. A once clear night was now falsely accused of otherwise. This was truly the mark of the "dark one"'s resurrection. Action needed to be taken but this loyal vassal trusted his king, as well as his word, with his life. Regardless of what his Pharaoh was doing out of his sights, Seto was determined to keep a watchful eye on what his cousin currently could not.

He had already lost one piece of his heart this day; he refused to lose his sovereign as well. Come Isis' Spiria searching for the two of them from the skies or the baleful Zork himself, Seto would be ready. He would prove himself to his ruler and bed him in light of their victory over any and all that threatened their home. As bold as such thoughts were, and automatically assuming his king had no other choice but to be his for the night, the priest still had the rights to imagine. And if harboring these sensual musings towards seducing and making love to his ruler were wrong—then the priest would just be wrong. And he'd be fine with it. Vivid imagery passed behind his eyes on the topic. He could lucidly experience the sounds that would spring from his cousin's mouth, induced only by his faithful priest, in the privacy of the most secretive of chambers. They would mark their conjugation through the flavors of passion, under the veil of twilight and within the cocooned glow of candles. He would imprint their forbidden lusts possessively along his lover's bared neck until it was tattooed with bites. Tanned legs would encompass around him. They would clutch him tautly while he held his king's slender frame to his chest, delving into his body with quick, spirited thrusts. Oiled bodies moving in rhythm, the whispering flicker of the candlelight glistening over their skin, telling of their secrets. The priest would never tire of the sounds his monarch would create; only he would be the one to coax such symphonies from his king this way and swallow their intensity with demanding kisses.

However, he was getting far too ahead of himself now. A wishful thought without any guarantee of occurring was nothing more than a lie. He hadn't meant to allow his mind to run rampant with such impure thoughts, but his cousin was truly all he had left. With a soundless mind and a somber heart, Seto kept his gaze within the heavens where they belonged- while fervently awaiting his king's return.

OoO

"Mmm..! Ah...!" Yami breathed, his authorative voice a mix of broken gasps and an enticed moan. Tightly, he hugged Kaiba's neck for dear life, bringing the taller male even deeper into their kiss. His golden earrings chimed as they scraped against the pillar behind him, their luster reflecting glimmers of moonlight about its surface. Mere minutes had fled while their emotions devoured the other in forms of kisses and touch; their airy and greedy pants haloed them like an amorous incense. Kaiba's hands had wasted no time in cradling and squeezing the treasures between Yami's legs through the thin trappings of the loincloth he wore. A coarse throaty moan settled in Yami's throat. It was a gorgeous, forbidden sound that drifted along the extremes of impatience and anticipation. Its erotic beauty forced Seto to broaden their kisses and strengthen his possessive embraces that withered Yami's sensual roars to a delicate whimper.

'Seto...!' he exclaimed in his mind. Every sense was ignited to its highest intensity and fogging his mind with amorous nonsense. He wanted more; he needed more and he required it quickly, all at once. It wasn't only from the earnest of finally being able to touch through his own tangibility, instead of through the perceptions of another, and it wasn't just from being pressed for time. Yami had a hunger brewing inside him for so long, now that he was able to fully accept it, he now had to be engulfed by it. He yearned for the contact; he craved Seto; he had to feel needed. His heart, his body, demanded it.

His Seto was fully aware of this. He had become used to understanding even the smallest detail of Yami's mannerisms, attitude and the meanings behind them. Since this was the first time they would be able to explore the other without mechanical limitations, Seto wanted to take things slowly- as "slow" as his definition of the word in his vocabulary would allow. But they didn't have the time. At this moment, they had each other and, for right now, that was good enough.

" Yami..." Seto uttered, heavy emotion nipping at his voice and the hint of a growl in his throat. He slipped his fingers inside the fabric of the loincloth, his knuckles grazing the throbbing flesh behind it. Roughly, he tugged on the cloth twice, wordlessly alluding to his intentions. It was more of a respectful gesture than one of redundence. One more pull and he would have torn it-which would be quite the feat considering the type of thong-wear it was. A small flap of cloth in the front was the only modest decency Yami had allowed for whatever reason. Perhaps that type were all that were clean at the time. Either way, Seto wasn't complaining. Much.

Yami tensed to Seto's impatience at first, but gently pushed him away just enough to cease the assaulting of their mouths. His long lashes fluttered lightly as they lifted; his glossed eyes surrendered a confession only Seto could understand. Then, Yami gave a firm nod, barely moving his head.

_'Do it...'_

The ripping of fine linen sliced into the room and within seconds, Seto's fingers spread over Yami's entrance while twin digits of his other hand slid into Yami's mouth. The alluring noble drew them in with a skilled roll of his tongue and attended to them generously. Kaiba observed with a chiseled expression at how eagerly Yami accepted and suckled on his fingers as if they would fade away at any moment. His mesmerizing eyes were hidden behind caramel lids while he bobbed his head to his own sultry vibe. At the display, Seto's features hardened. Yami was far more exquisite to behold in the shade of lust than from what any virtual program could emulate. He had to claim him. He needed to be closer, he needed to fill himself with Yami quickly before he denied any of this ever being possible. He just wanted to make love to the only one he allowed, as of right now, completely into his heart.

"Yami..." he crafted the name so softly and with such ardor, he didn't believe it was he who muttered it. He would never let the entirety of an emotion out so freely like that...

"...Yami..." Another morsel of his candor seeped out unintentionally; his desperation had become clearly evident. Inwardly, Kaiba was screaming, nearly pleading, to be the only one to matter most in Yami's life and to show him just how much he meant it.

"...Seto_...ana uħibbuk...__ana uħibbuk..._" Yami confessed in a tender voice in-between licks and rhythm. He had been keen to Seto's unspoken emotions for years now; he could tell what the other was feeling rather easily many times. This moment was no different. The passion, the respect, and the emotions Seto carried towards him radiated from his body like a roaring flame and intensified what Yami was already feeling thousand-fold. Suddenly, his body straightened and he shuddered slightly. His mouth left Kaiba's fingers to draw in a sudden breath; multiple strings of beaded saliva sparkled in wake of the separation. Betwixt his nether regions, he learned quickly of the almost hidden delicacy in Kaiba's eager touches; and they led him expectant for , one small thing stood between them. Husky breaths trickled from Yami; his fingers dug into the waves of Seto's tresses, "Chk...waist..." he spoke, his voice almost strained. His head thick with sensual haze, Seto almost didn't hear him; but at the last second, he did, "...Hn?"

"Oil...here..." Yami uttered breathlessly. His hands gradually left their immersement in silky mahogany. Shakily they outlined Seto's arms, bridled emotion within them, and laced his jeweled fingertips over the top of the gold ornament around his abdomen. They swiftly dipped inside; three narrow vails of a liquidy substance was held between the slender digits upon reemergence. White Lotus Attar, pure Frankincense and the more commonly favorable almond oil were presented. The first two substances sought more usage in ceremonies and rituals while the other was more multi-purpose. Had the couple not been so preoccupied with fulfilling a mutual need and desire, Seto would have questioned, and found very amusing, Yami's desperation to consider wagering sanctified oils for their unity. Not bothering with the details, Seto chose one at random. Uninterested in the rest, he touched a palm to Yami's and gripped his hand with affectionate firmness. The action caused the remaining tubes to descend from the weakened grasp and clink lyrically against the stone floors. It was a prelude to their sensual promise; a solo before the airy pants from another impassioned kiss overlapped all else.

It took Seto nearly a minute to get the oil open; he may have been able to conceal his thriving nerves through the sureness of his actions, but in-between that suave facade, his fingers were shaking. This was a monumental event for the two of them and he did not want to miss nor regret anything. He wanted perfection but he could not have it. Yami took notice of this and cupped Seto's face gently in his palms. There, he kissed him, temporarily distracting him from his nervousness. Seto would have appreciated it more if they had more time for him to deny being capable of having such emotions that needed to be soothed. He didn't need a distraction. He was Seto Kaiba. Yet, apparently, around Yami, he was more than just a powerful name. He was also human.

As their mouths met and their tongues entwined, Seto slathered a copious amount of the fragrant substance onto his fingers. Cautiously, he lowered them; his breaths becoming shallow from the sheer anticipation along with the intensity of their kiss. It was a rather difficult task to withhold his earnest as to not injure Yami from the insertion of a very large finger. A sudden gasp pierced the air and the entire world came to a halt for that one second. While he had felt Seto's prodding at his entrance many times in virtual reality, the illusion's familiarity was nullified in comparison to the reality of a different sort. It was almost as if he were being unraveled and discovered for the first time. That feeling remained even as Seto discreetly inserted another finger, followed by a third to insure his other would be well prepared.

"Ah...Se...t...o..." Yami strained. His arms were now loosely around Seto's neck, his nails biting into his shoulders in contrast. No matter how careful, no matter how slowly Seto readied Yami, all the love in the world could not be a substitute for the strings of pain it created. While he didn't speak it, Seto gave signals of concern to his other; an airy kiss to the forehead foretold silent volumes- a rare moment of surrender with him burrowing his face in the crook of Yami's neck. Tenderness was not a foreign concept to him by any means. He wanted to make completely sure Yami would fully accept his offerings and not run off to save the world by himself or some other fairy tale nonsense. Seto wanted to be at Yami's side as often as comfortably possible. For someone who used to consider everyone else outside of his bubble of himself and Mokuba a burden, allowing in an intriguing figure like Yami was a gargantuan step. And from the moment he allowed this limitless creature in, Seto's entire world was flipped. Since then, he refused to let Yami go. It just couldn't happen, or so he strongly willed to believe. He would see to it. And while he felt as if he couldn't stop himself from allowing their hearts to merge this moment, if Yami happened to change his mind about it happening now, Seto would have little choice but to respect that decision.

"...Please, Seto..." Yami uttered, barely moving his lips. His regal garb clung to him; dampened by sweat and nearly sheer and transparent in the moonlight. The room was far too humid to remain clothed, but neither male preferred to undress. The lack of time nullified that luxury. Secretly, Seto was grateful for that...

Intoxicated within the moment, Yami strongly draped a lean leg around Seto's waist and clutched the material at his chest to draw him closer. Lifting his eyes to his lover, his lips curved into an honest shape and the two words Seto needed to hear blossomed into the crisp air, "Take me..."

Nothing else held meaning to Seto. All that he focused on now was making Yami his this moment. Both his hands cupped the underside of Yami's thighs and he rubbed his thick endowment earnestly against its meager counterpart. A ribbon of sonorous sounds wavered from between them at the contact and Yami could not help himself from moving his hips with zealous abandon. His breaths emerged in puffs of mist; every slight movement cast his form in rippling luminosity from the moon above, and brought forth tinkling prose from his earrings. He was ready; beyond it. He was desperate. Anxiously, Seto entered him, the motion extracting blissful and hesitant tremors from his lithe body. While they had gone through the motions of inducing these movements in fiction, this time truly was the first. Yami was nervous and a tad bit fearful, but he trusted Seto with his entire being. Once Seto was certain that his other willed for him to resume, he continued to immerse himself while utilizing Yami's range of expressions as his guide. The petite ruler bit back a raspy sound and latched himself closer into to the warmth of his lover's embrace with avarice.

They lingered in that position for a bit: the both of them gave the other time to adjust. From there, they began their union slowly until they both became more accustomed to it. Before long, the awkward uncertainties in their actions evolved to a more natural finesse. With his back firmly against the pillar, Yami's body bounced with a rhythm that complemented Seto's movements. Although, the solidity behind him paled in light of Seto's within him. Flashes of grunting, whimpers and husky exclamations withdrew from Yami in various ranges and pitches that both rivaled, and egged on, Seto's pace. His fingers clutched tufts of mahogany and ebony; one hand clawing at the layered locks while the other squeezed Seto's broad shoulder. His lengthy lashes marked his face with lavish crescents whose silent beauty complimented the glittering gold at his ears.

Seto had wanted to take things slowly and initially, he had. But now, he didn't think. He was running on instinct like he had many other times towards Yami. He had tried to be patient, but in the matters of his rival, such a word held little to no tethers about him. Seto was impulsive when this male was involved. His only mistake-was his involvement in the first place. But that was no longer an issue. Yami was his, and that-was final. This man was Seto's treasure while he was the love of Yami's life. As their powerful bond would have it, the two of them managed to harvest love with and without the use of machinery and technology. True love was no easy task, yet mutually reached and obtained. This moment, its rarity and intensity, was special-to them and no one else. While the image of the Pharaoh was like that of a deity to his people, with Seto, Yami felt as if his other were that of a prince who dared to share his world through his lover's eyes. This moment was theirs to capture, to rule, to cherish. And it was also about time.

OoO

Somewhere between the worlds of life and shadow, a rather disturbing cackle rang out and filled its spacious dwelling. After a fit of more whooping laughter, and one rather amused individual nearly falling out of his seat, a short lived silence settled in before it was tarnished with more humoured insults.

"Wait...so let me get this right...YOU and Seto Kaiba? Are having SEX? Hahahahaha! Well! This is rich! Brilliant! I almost wish I could say that I never saw it coming but I knew one of you would get in the other's trousers at some point or another!" A quite ecstatic Bakura enthused. Amongst all the twists and events that had occurred in this particular head game he was playing with his pawns settled within the Pharaoh's memories, he never would have prepared for this, "While it's bloody hilarious, it was far too obvious. I'm a bit disappointed in that! Just couldn't wait to get your rocks off could you? Hahahaha!"

His opponent, of course, had nothing to say to this; his head was lowered and his expression remained obscured by his angular bangs. Bakura was so amused by this, he decided to mentally hold off Zork's approach upon the palace in order to further watch the show.

OoO

The shallow clinking of gold skittered over the stone floor, catching the glow of the moon in its luster. Glossed melodies carried a poetic proem of completion that surrounded the one who wore it. His wild locks lay askew along the granite drizzled with spilled moonlight. Yami's airy gasps and lucid moans attuned to the tinkling jewelery like a fine song as he lay on his back, surrendering all to Seto's actions. The shine of the moon wavered over his panting body as if it were breathing as he was, painting his slender frame in an ocean of luminescence. From the way the opening in the ceiling was constructed, its angle gloriously bathed Yami in a diagonal of soft light while Seto was set in mostly shadows. Symbolically inverted. Yami was the one who favored dark magics while Kaiba often chose the attribute of light. But that held no meaning now. In this moment, the two of them had each other; the celestial pearl above a bold observer to their testament of accepting, and making, love.

"Seto..." Yami whispered against his lover's chest. The fabric of his shirt brushed along his face with each spirited thrust. Yami's hands tightened around the material momentarily before reaching up to cup Seto's face. The taller male gave a content sound in response and lowered his head slightly to gain a better gaze at the one beneath him.

"Seto..." Yami breathed; he shut his eyes and raised his hips. The motion struck a sensitive spot within him he had no idea he had. His back bowed; his regal features pinched in a strong, silent exclamation that was as beautiful as it was passionate. A second later, he was able to deeply inhale; the solitary syllable of a coarse vowel sprang from him, his mouth open widely to accommodate the girth of it. His entire body was wrought with a flurry of powerful sensations that rivaled the very elements of lightning and fire themselves. His fingertips dug into Seto's arms, his toes curled in their slippers, and his body quavered from the raw passion.

"Seto!" The design of the name decorated the scented air between them; Yami's back arched and his fingertips clawed at the collar of Seto's shirt, "_Aywah! _Seto! Come with me...!" He commanded in a beautiful cry.

"Yami-!" Seto bellowed huskily. Immediately, one hand closed over Yami's hardness and stroked it briskly. A string of curses flew into he air as Yami was swept away into his undoing. As the ivory liquid expelled from the fatigued king, aimlessly dappling Seto's hand in its substance, the strangled cry of his lover's name formed hotly on his lips and thickly in his throat.

While the raw sensations strummed through him, Yami's fists pulled at the collar of Seto's shirt, yanking the obsidian material down and exposing creamy pale skin. An elegant and strong neck that would have been flawless if not for the scatterings of faded markings on one side. Even through glazed eyes and darkened surroundings, Yami could make out the insignias rather well. Scars; aged wounds scolded by the past while still remaining fresh in future's present. What were they caused from? Self-inflicted harm? No. Seto wouldn't do that. It wasn't like him. Gingerly, his fingers reached up towards the abrasions, "...S... Set..." he attempted to speak coherently but his sore throat, and the continuous milky throbs between his legs, had stifled that freedom. Kaiba, however, was oblivious to Yami's discovery; his divided attention settled on the building climax within him. Suddenly, he moved his hands from Yami's body, slamming both palms against the floor. There, he feverishly delved into Yami with such ferocity, no savage beast with their prey ensnared could look half as breathtaking as Seto did right now. The both of them released interjections rich with lust and carnal appetite that only they could conjure; Seto's first climax claimed him harshly within his other while Yami's unexpected second stole the wind right out of him. Coughing and gasping for scraps of air, Yami's grip on Kaiba slackened tremendously and all manner of thought promptly vanished from him. His eyes shut tightly, feeling as if doing so would preserve the imagery and magnitude of what had just transpired.

"_Enta habibi...Enta habibi...Enta hayati.._.Seto.." Yami's words dribbled from him, the afterglow of their unity enhanced with the echoes of his mantra. While he waited for his body to calm and his breathing to regulate, he slowly allowed his eyes to open. There, he was greeted to a licentious show of Seto inspecting the rivulets of white about his hand before slyly licking it a slither of it off. The second those wild orbs shifted to his, Yami clamped his amaranth witnesses shut. As he did, he felt Seto's body shift closer to his face.

"Hn...you taste awful..." he jeered in a breathy tone at Yami's ear. Without warning, Kaiba laced his tongue over Yami's mouth before kissing him thoroughly and pinning his arms down. Minced sounds and fruitless squirming were Yami's only retaliations to both the comment as well as firsthand regards to his own pungent flavor. How dare Kaiba say something like that to him, then kiss him right after?

"My Pharaoh!" A familiar strong voice transcended into the hall nearby. Immediately Yami sat up, incidentally knocking Kaiba on his backside, "Seto!" Yami whispered as if the one in context of the name was a forbidden entity.

"Pharaoh? Are you here?" The priest's voice neared further. Struck with nervousness, Yami forced the hem of his kilt down to cover his partial nudity, then pushed himself to his feet. Fortunately, he managed this the second his high priest barged into the room. Unfortunately, he was unaware of the consequences of copulating with another man firsthand and stumbled to the floor on his bottom.

"Pharaoh!" The priest exclaimed, dashing for his beloved. Kaiba flinched, urged to do the same, but he decided against it at the last second. Instead, he watched his ancient doppelganger drop to his knees in front of Yami and grasp his shoulders to help soften his collapse. "Pharaoh?"

"I...I'm all right, Seto," Yami assured in a smoothly convincing tone, giving his subject full eye contact. The mystic allure that drifted in those brilliant orbs caused the priest's dutiful expression to falter as his hidden desires glistened in his eyes for a whole second and his lips thinned. It may have lingered momentarily, but both Kaiba and Yami saw it. The former knew exactly what it was while the latter preferred its context as the benefit of the doubt.

"Why have you entered here when you were given the order to wait for my return?" The role of Pharaoh was not lost on Yami in the least as he addressed his priest with gentle accusation. Immediately, the priest bowed his head in respect and shifted his stature to his king's waist on one knee, "I did as you commanded, my Pharaoh. Upon guarding the horizon, I was located by Isis's Spiria. The dark one was found and shall be approaching the palace within the hour!"

"Then we haven't much time," Yami began, rising to a stand. Seto followed suit and nodded in agreement, "We must return at once, my Pharaoh."

"Go and assemble your men, Seto. I shall join you shortly," Yami insisted, starting to turn towards Kaiba. Instinctively, he began to tug the back side of his garment down that had ridden up to his thigh when a strong hand secured his arm. Before he could wince, Yami was pulled back against his priest's broad chest. Kaiba visibly tensed from the sight, but remained to hold his ground. This would be the perfect opportunity to see what his Yami would do to defend their relationship. Although, he would have preferred nothing more than to punch his past self square in the nose.

"Speak your reasonings, priest," Yami warned.

"With all due respect, Pharaoh, I refuse to leave without you," he almost sneered, but his mouth was so close to Yami's ear, the words behaved more like a purr. In addition to that, Seto had become aware of his king's poor consideration towards his appearance when he fell. And with the absence of a loincloth, Yami's dear, devoted priest had saw all of it.. Daringly, one hand rested upon Yami's hip before trailing downward. Despite seeming like he was going to take what he believed to be his, the priest instead pulled down the bottom of the kilt so it was its proper length just above Yami's knees. For a moment, though, he had forgotten himself. In his mind, in this moment, he saw his cousin nude, bracing himself against his throne on his palms while his loyal priest claimed him from behind. It was a musing that drove a flicker of moistness over his lips and further enticement to his next brazen inquiry. Thinking the two of them were alone only added to his arrogance, "Pharaoh, once the dark one is bested and the kingdom is saved...will you have me...?"

It would have been difficult for Yami to resist such bold honesty requested of him in the same voice of the man he was in love with. However, his heart knew better. Though, he felt a tad bit of pity for his subject. Perhaps the actual cousin he sought would have said yes. However, Yami had acclaimed so much more than what he knew of 3,000 years earlier. It didn't take a genius to know that even one year was enough to sprout a change in an individual; it could easily be imagined of what could be amassed in thousands. Simply put, he wasn't the same as he once was. He had moved on and Kaiba was his choice. Instead of admitting to being unable to return the priest's, dauntlessly spoken, feelings, Yami detoured the subject to one of another extreme, "I will have you see yourself prepared and ready for battle...WHAT!" He suddenly shouted-tossing his gaze to a seething Seto Kaiba- who had yanked him out of the priest's embrace. "I've seen enough!" He growled, lifting Yami off his feet only to throw him at the awed priest. It was a rather foolish and very childish move, but since the priest couldn't see him, chances were Kaiba couldn't touch him either. Using Yami as a projectile was the next best thing that made sense in his jealously angered mind.

At least Bakura found this to be a hilarious riot.

After the awkward happening, Yami urged his vassal to join him in the journey back to the palace while a fuming Seto Kaiba had no choice but to begrudgingly follow suit.

OoO

Eventually, Yami, and those he held dear in both love, devotion and in friendship, stood against Zork. Their bonds triumphed the chaos had allowed Yami to recover his name. While Yami was still rather cross at Yūgi for betraying him, he held his contempt inside-to be uncovered at a later time. After all their success, he, Yūgi's friends and Kaiba all returned to Egypt. The Millennium Items were obtained and Yami had acquired his name of completion, Atem. While Anzu and the others went on about there being 2 Yūgis in the tablet room with them, Seto talked with Ishizu about what options Yami...Atem... had left remaining. What she had to speak was no different than what Seto had learned over the phone the other day. The ceremonial battle between Yami and Yūgi was soon approaching. It needed to happen.

As the others began to scatter to either see the sights within their location or to settle into their temporary rooms in the ferry Ishizu had arranged for all of them, Seto and Yami remained behind. By themselves and left alone, Seto pulled Yami towards on of the smoothed walls of the room and kissed him. Tenderly. Elaborately. Every feeling, each memory and all the discoveries they had uncovered between themselves pulled on the sincerity their mouths described. It was pure acceptance, as well as a certain something more. With great reluctance, Seto broke the kiss; his hands gave Yami's arms a squeeze before he took a small step back. Bold amaranth drank in the full visage of the male before them. The evidence of a hesitant decision was easily readable about his face. "...Seto..." Yami sighed, elongating the name as if there was an imaginary burden shackled to it. But Seto didn't want to hear it. Not now. Not like this. In response Seto leaned down to Yami's ear, purposely not allowing his lips to feather against any part of it. "Come to the room tonight. We need to talk," Seto disclosed in a whisper. The sound of his voice never sounded sweeter and while it wasn't meant to be enticing, Yami couldn't fight the desire to close his eyes and relish in its rich timbre. That would be one quality he would miss terribly.

"Take the time you need before that. I'm sure you and that runt have some explanations to adhere to."

"Yes," Yami replied simply, lifting his lids halfway but his gaze lingered elsewhere. Gently, he felt strong fingers glide under his chin and raise it. Silently, he and Seto shared one more chaste embrace before the CEO departed and left Yami in reflective solitude.

OoO

Arabic- _Enya habibi_- My love

_Enya hayati_- My life

_A__na uħibbuk_- I love you

_Aywah_- Yes/Yeah

Guhh so much more wuz supposed ta happpeeeeen! But eh, best to save it for the next chapter. Kura got sum originally unintentional screentime due to A LARGE HINT BY A CERTAIN SOMEONE. ...I didn't even plan for any of this chapter to be funny, but it happened several times throughout it anyway! Dah well... u got a lemon. Be happy...or something! I'm sure happy this darn phone has a qwerty keypad and a word processor on it or else who knows what I would have done to type, or thumb rather, these chapters up _ I'm stubborn. Dead laptop or not, the phone is able to be used like one, so first, writing words down with pen and paper and then thumbing the text up on the phone!

*ooc!*

Priest Seto: I AM IN LOVE WITH THE PHARAOH! Allow me to fantasize about having him!

Kaiba: *punches him* FANTASIZE THIS! My FIST!

Priest Seto: Now that was just nasty. I only want him, not to be fisted by you!

Kaiba: What? THERE IS NO STOICSHIPPING HERE! *kicks the priest* PRIDESHIPPING!

Priest Seto: *throws random ka tablets at Kaiba* SCANDALSHIPPING!

Kaiba: FIND ANOTHER COUSIN TO HAVE IN-SEX WITH!

Priest Seto: THAT'S "INCEST" AND ATEM IS THE ONLY ONE!

Yami: ...Okay I'm embarrassed! Both smexy Setos are fighting over me! And to make matters worse, Bakura had to see it all!

Bakura: The sex was bloody bollocks, you two were BORING! Who cares about your love and tenderness when you can have pain and suffering? But that interruption was priceless!

Prest Seto: And when he fell, I saw ALL his junk! THE PHARAOH IS MINE!

Kaiba: HE'S MINE!

Setos: *get into a dust cloud fighting*

Yami: ... ... Anyway... after finally waiting many chapters, Seto and I finally were able to share a sexual moment in some type of reality.

Setos: *still fighting*

Yami: ...

Zork: It's allright. I'm listening! Even though you all destroyed me this chapter! Which reminds me...

Zork: *is destroyed*

Yami: ... ... ... After Kaiba and I finally hook up for realsies, get watched by a pervert Bakura and get walked in on, it really hit me that he was hiding something!

Kaiba: I WAS NOT! Those scars were mentioned several chapters ago in narration!

Yami: You really expect that to be remembered?

Priest Seto: Are we not fighting over the Pharaoh anymore?

Kaiba: What do you think? And who says 'Will you have me' anyway? Seriously?

Yami: Actually, I found it rather endearing.

Kaiba: You would... Oh, and by the way, your 'Pharaoh' leaves you to be with me. Hope you like fapping to dragons.

Priest Seto: And I hope he-

Bakura: BITES OFF YOUR TODGER!

Yami: ... Well that was uncalled for! But I'll keep it in mind. I do owe you...*smiiile*

Ishizu: I have a cameo.

Yūgi: So do I! Although Yami is mad at me!

Kaiba: *punts him*

Mokuba: And I wasn't mentioned at all! I think...! Hey! Did you just kick Yūgi?

Kaiba: I did.

Yami: He did.

Mokuba: Then why don't you two smex now with him gone?

Yami: ...Because the other smex part got removed from this chapter.

Kaiba: Who cares *grabs Yami and proceeds to smex him silly*

Yami: OH SETO! *is smexed sumthin fierce*

Priest Seto: YES MY PHARAOH?

Kaiba and Yami: LEAVE US!

Priest Seto: ... ... ... Have I been downgradded to Yūgi status...?

Mokuba: Nah. No one else can be categorized THAT low. He's the atagonist after all.

Yūgi: *instantly has the words "BAD GUY" scribbled in marker on his forehead* Who me? NO SMEX IN MY BODY NEXT CHAPTER, GOT IT?

Kaiba and Yami: *are too busy smexing to hear*

Bakura: Onto the next then!

Yūgi: Hey, didn't we get rid of you too back there?

Bakura: !

Bakura: *is also defeated*

Zork: Hooraaaaays! I am not all alone naaaao! *but still defeated*

Ishizu: Onto the next pleez!

*Ooc*

-Mel


	12. And be Moved

_**A/N: This chapter contains fluff! Lots of fluff! And character depth...And implied lemony stuff but not really! The lemon-lemon is next chapter.**_

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 12

OoO

Dusk etched over the continent with its long fingers, allowing only a few glimmers of sun through its cracks. Yami was exhausted; his discussion with Yūgi had drained him emotionally. While their confrontation itself was brief, he needed an hour to himself to let it, and everything before it, sink in. He found a spot on the shore not far from the ferry just to sit, think and be alone. Weakened rays of the fading sun lingered in his bangs as they became weightless in the gentle wind. His knees were drawn to his chest, his arms folded atop them hiding his chin. He wanted this day to end. Incidentally, the last few bits of concerns Yūgi had brought to him previously, before the little one went to sleep, overlapped his current jumble of thoughts and concerns.

"_I was only thinking of you, Pharaoh. Atem, right?" the youth stated softly with bright, honest eyes that still retained their luster while his form was in its transparent state. It was only when the weight of his following statements forced his eyes to avert away from his friend, "I'm sorry... I know that I had to practically trick you into finding out the answers you were looking for, but … I really felt like I had to," he paused. His eyes contracted mildly, granting a rather mature look about such a childlike face as he looked to Yami, "One of us had to do something for your benefit," His expressive plums glistened,"You're always helping everyone, especially me. This time, it felt like it was my turn to take care of you."_

Yūgi always seemed to have an affinity for appearing so innocent and for sacrificing himself for the well-being of others. While truthful, it didn't do any wonders for his mood. The younger had made it clear that he just wanted to help his friend regain his memories and nothing more. He hadn't mentioned Kaiba's name at all, not once. The focus had been on Yami entirely and that made him feel even guiltier for ever letting his emotions gain the better of him in the enticing ways that it did. Once regaining his memories, he knew he couldn't stay even while the pull of others wanting him to was great. The best option would be to return to where he should be- his destiny. Wasn't it? Where else would he belong?

_'With me'_

Those words Kaiba had divulged to him many moons ago returned to him along the spirit of the wind. It laced over his body and spiraled to his very center. Silently, Yami closed his eyes to embrace the warmth that followed.

Kaiba... His new-found love; his impossibility.

The reason either of them were in this situation stemmed from falling in love and without much resistance. While it was purely natural and normal, there were several times Yami thought they should have never allowed themselves to become as close as they have. As a result, he chose to unfairly take the full responsibility of their burden alone.

Either way, Yami had already made his decision. He felt obliged to go through the ceremonial duel with Yūgi. He didn't want to take the chance and gamble the possibilities but he felt that he had to. He didn't want to risk the outcome of his borrowed life when doing so also included trading his relationship with Kaiba. While his love for the alluring man was unbridled and unrivaled, Yami felt he owed Yūgi a great debt. After all, the little one was only looking out for his well-being. Perhaps going along with this duel would lift the burden he carried. Although, if that really were the case, why was Yami trying to justify all this as if they were excuses? It was tiresome.

With a sigh, he took time uncoiling himself from his seated position until he stood to his full stature. He was not ready-but his mind had been made up. Knowing that he finally settled on a decision, he felt only a tad bit relived. Now, all he wanted was to see Kaiba. Yami was certain his other had already known of his volition, that he had already been aware of the choice being definite and no longer speculative. Why else would he be so bent on demanding that Yami stay with him?

Seto...

Thoughts of spending the rest of the evening with him was all Yami needed to command his feet towards the ferry. Once inside, he descended down the main corridor for the ship, passing dual rows of doors of all the same color and structural detail. How was he even able to tell which one was Seto's room? There weren't any labels or numbers. Then he remembered if mostly everyone else had gone to explore nearby areas within the country, Seto would most likely be the only on aboard, minus possibly one of Ishizu's brothers. And neither of them would probably have much of a reason to speak with him without the elegant woman's initiation. Hesitantly, he continued to make his way down the hall looking for any signs of life. Soon he happened upon the muffled sound of music brimming the very last door in expressive euphony. Curious, Yami raised a brow and pressed his ear to the painted wood. Sure enough, he had heard right. It was a soft, inviting melody, even sensual in contexts he never would have thought Seto would ever accept let alone listen to.

"Seto?" he called, raising the back of his hand to tap a knuckle against the door. There was no answer. Intrigued, Yami turned the knob and peeked inside. When he did, his eyes widened as they filled with the advent of a colorful new world. The entire room was dimmed in lighting, dappled with soft warm light from the tiny candles that were set atop a few tables. There was even a bottle of chilled wine near on of the couches. Bushels of roses in the qualities of boastful red and charming white also greeted the thunderstruck visitor. In fact, there wasn't a surface, tabletop or counter alike in the spacious room that hadn't been topped with at least one vase holding a single rose or more. Even the carpets were peppered with petals of scarlet and ivory. It took Yami nearly a whole 7 seconds to realize just how hard his jaw had hit the floor. Had Seto done all this? When? How? Was this really even his room? Had he walked into the wrong one by mistake? Everything was done with immaculate, and exquisite, detail and taste. It would almost make sense if this were the room of a poised individual like Ishizu. Although it seemed a bit of a stretch, Yami could picture her coming home to or inhabiting a room flooded with flower, fruit, and heavy fragrances hanging in the air. And rather than walking over it, she would float instead.

Okay, maybe the scent of the flowers and the music were getting to his head. What was he doing? Clumsily, he turned around and began to exit. But before he could step foot into the hall, he stopped himself and hesitantly glanced over his shoulder. "Come back!" The decorative room seemed to beg, "Please come back!"

Unsure of what to do, and astonished beyond all belief, Yami could not move. Blinking furiously, he tried to fight back the blush that crossed his features. He imagined Seto standing behind him, arms crossed with a gaze that ordered him to stay. "You get back here and don't you dare think of leaving. Now," He would say. He would probably even go as far to snap his fingers. With a confused sound, Yami squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. If the decor of the room wasn't lavish enough, his imagination certainly made things worse!

"This...this is too much...!" Yami uttered under his breath. He was truly captivated by all that he saw, even if the thought of Seto of all people possibly being the reason for it was an absolute shock. No one could easily outdo any of this and if there was one thing Seto was known for besides his gargantuan ego and genius was his belief of being the best. All that he accomplished needed to excel anything of normal, general circumstances. With that musing in mind, Yami took small, cautious steps into the room. He truly felt as if he had stumbled into a new uncharted reality- into an experience he never thought he'd ever be a part of. 'Did... did Seto do this for... me...?' he wondered, unable to anchor his fleeting eyes. The more he blinked, the blurrier the room started to become. The awing beauty entranced him and touched him immensely.

Secretly, he had always wanted to be welcomed, to be seduced, into a room like this. Candles and roses were a hidden soft spot. The music and light scent carrying in the air were bonuses. Only one detail was missing.

At that moment, an alert, but expectant, Seto entered from one of the back rooms that Yami assumed was a small kitchen of sorts. His layered tresses swept over his features like a luxurious fabric, playing about his sapphires' luster. His body was encompassed with twin articles of ebony separated by a thin silver belt. On his feet were slippers that boasted a comfort that was a fashion far cry from the rest of his outfit. Seto seemed to prefer being dressed that way under homier circumstances. It was amusing and Yami was very fond of the appearance. He would have let a chuckle slip if not for the wine glasses Seto held in each hand. It was something very simple, but Yami couldn't help but feel both appreciated and marveled by this man and by him alone. The various expressions of shock, humor and warmth that blossomed over Yami's face were easily read by his captivator and inwardly, Seto smirked. He could feel his ego rising an extra 20 levels. Although, while pleased by Yami's reaction to his "interior decorating", Seto addressed him with mock annoyance instead.

"Can't you knock?"

Yami raised both brows before answering. Ironically, he managed to find his voice when he felt challenged, "Apparently not," he returned plainly.

"Hnn..." Seto mused, shifting his weight to a comfortable pose, "You're early."

"What?"

Seto snorted, and flicked a few bangs from in front his eyes to study Yami acutely. The tinted streak of rose on his cheeks did not go unnoticed, but Seto did not speak on it, "I honestly thought your brooding after speaking with the runt would have taken longer than an hour. A minor mistake on my part."

"I was not brooding, Seto, I was thinking!" Yami shot back, lifting his chin high without realizing. Seto, of course, found this mildly amusing, "With you, it tends to be the same thing," he jested, " And close the door unless you need more time to run off and feel sorry for yourself."

"Seto..." Yami growled, a fiery retaliation glossing his eyes, "You know that is not fair. My thoughts consisted more of you than of myself."

"And especially don't mope about me..." Seto returned sharply, "I don't need any sympathy from you or anyone. Being with you causes me enough headaches..."

"I could give you more than just a headache," Yami jeered with a dark curve to his lips and a pointed tip to his words. It would seem Kaiba had gotten through to him like he always did when Yami had begun doubting himself. He would not allow his greatest rival and thrill to be weak. It would reflect badly on him. But more than that, Seto hated it when Yami lost his morale. It frightened him. And he would not have it. He would muster enough strength and power for the both of them. Yami gave a sigh and waved the situation away."Did... you do all of this...?" he inquired in a hushed tone as if it were a secret, gesturing around the room.

"Hmph. No, Ishizu did. There was something she obviously wanted to tell me," Seto stated flatly, walking over to one of the sofas in the room. A jealous scowl formed over Yami's face at he comment-indicating how the implied sarcasm had somehow flown right over his head. Slightly annoyed, Seto rolled his eyes as he sat down. He crossed one leg over the other and placed both goblets down atop a coffee table; his expression alone beckoned to Yami to approach him.

"Now," It ordered. An unreadable look dashed over Yami's features with a familiar blush the only dechiperable item. He was reminded of his little frolic with imagination eariler and it left him speechless. Thankfully, the abashed regal responded to the gesture with steady feet and a muted tongue.

As the night stretched on, they talked, they drank and spoke of the memories made. Despite the deep feelings shared between them just hours earlier in Yami's past, the atmosphere encircling them was very casual. But it soon took a curve for the serious.

Yami reinformed Seto, and himself for the umpteenth time, of his final decision. Seto despised it of course but he also respected it. However, that in no way meant he loathed the choice even less. Still, he wanted the night before the outcome of the ceremonial duel to be imprinted in eternal memory. Throughout their conversation and nostalgia, one alluding question was still unexplained. The scar-like markings; what were they?

"..." Seto's eyes narrowed at the personal intrusion, but they didn't dismiss nor welcome the question. Instead of answering, he took a swig of wine.

"Seto...? I can see you aren't exactly thrilled by the subject, but I...it's been bothering me... Those markings weren't present in our... virtual encounters. They did not exist."

"..." Of course they weren't. Seto didn't want them to be seen. That was also the reason why he did not undress himself in the world of memory. He wasn't prepared to have Yami see them-not because they were scars but of the meanings behind how they were obtained.

"Before tomorrow..." Yami trailed off, placing a hand over Seto's atop his knee, "I wanted to know why."

"Gozaburo..." he replied dispassionately, adverting his eyes elsewhere.

"Seto..."

"Look, those scars represent the past and nothing more. They mean nothing to me," he frowned, glancing to Yami through nearly hidden eyes, compliments of his thick bangs.

"Then why do you always wear high collars to cover them? Why do you hide them from me..."

"They aren't your problem."

"Obviously, they aren't as insignificant as you're trying to persuade."

"..."

"Seto, I'm not asking you to bury your baggage on the spot. I just...want you to be comfortable with me."

In all honesty, he wanted to show Yami his scars-all of them, including the ones that could not be seen with the naked eyes. No one has seen them all, not even Mokuba. Why should be bare his shame to Yami- these abrasions from the childhood that aided in molding him? With extreme caution, he unbuttoned the dark silk just enough for the aged abrasions about his neck and chest to be seen. The moment their various shapes and shades crossed Yami's line of vision, his amaranth eyes widened as realization broke over him.

They were wounds of discipline; markings of control; embodiments of hatred. Seto's hatred, as well as the same disdain of that man, were present in those scars. This was what birthed the anger and hatred that Seto often fought with in their duels together. He crafted their intangibility into a useable form and brandished it as a weapon for battle. In his warrior's heart, he felt he had to use his all to win; all that hatred had to be given a purpose for something. Little did he know while that emotion granted him power, it also drained his chances of succeedng in conquering it while his rival fought for those he believed in.

"Seto..." Yami breathed, his gaze softened. He wanted to kiss those scars, but he knew Seto would take the action as pity and he would not allow it. Instead, he leaned forward with an alluring hint to his lips and powerful words on his tongue, " I accept you, Seto."

Acceptance. That was one word Seto was not familiar with hearing in his diection. Not much else needed to be voiced. The kiss Seto gave was far more potent than any verbal response he could have given. Once the embrace faded, Yami draped his arms around his lover's neck. He allowed himself to be lifted in his arms and carried off into the bedroom over a trail of petals.

OoO

"Seto..." a hesitant whisper touched Yami's mouth as he was laid on his back atop the sheets. His shirt had been removed, as well as his belts, and his pants were unbuttoned. Through misty eyes, and the thin canopy drapes, he gazed over to his lover beside him at the edge of the bed. His body was partially veiled by the gossamer embroidery, giving it the fill of a silhouette by the soft candlelight behind him. Seto's hands easily rid himself of the clothing at his chest, pulling the material over his head. Thick locks of russet scattered about, framing his face in an erotic mess. Now, both males shared the exposure of the same skin, both partaking in the same vulnerability.

"Seto..." Yami uttered in a breath much airier than the last. Here they were minutes away from a multitude of different possibilities, but there was still one glaring understanding that limited the freedom of their imaginations. This body was still Yūgi's and while Yami had let a few physical happenings slide in the past, intercourse was not one of them. In fact, no direct skin on skin stimulation below the waist was practiced on either of them. It showed how much respect Yami had for his younger as well as the same Seto held towards Yami. The two of them had built a trust and conceding to its opposite was something Seto refused to do. He honored Yami greatly and if he allowed himself to be captivated and captured by him. The seduced would always lure him. And for that reason, Seto would always lose to Yami. Indefinitely.

Silently, azure orbs guided over the half nude male on the bed. Sprinkled shades of apple and vanilla framed Yami's bared skin, rose petals surrounding him in halo. Their opulence gave his regal form the illusion of a deity's unveiling through a mortal's eyes. Yami's chest rose and descended quickly, mimicking the rapid pace of his heart. In weight of Seto's gaze upon him, Yami drew in a shallow breath; one hand clutched at the sheets, showing openly his nervousness in all its candor. What was going to happen? What would be discovered now that will never be able to hold dear ever again? He was very anxious and nervous to witness what Seto would do to him and do with him. He also felt a twinge of fear nip at him that Seto would disregard the barrier between them and try to copulate with him anyway using his aibou's body. Part of him expected it while another part assured him of otherwise in the name of smarter judgment. He needed to trust Seto entirely-and most of all, trust himself.

"Seto..." The name feathered over his lips and wavered, mirroring the fickering candlelight in the room. His lover was needed-far more than Yami could speak and far beyond his comprehension of the desire. All he could really do was form that name on his tongue and beckon to its master to join him in bed. Not making a move, Seto stared silently at his equal. He wanted to be able to give him more than he knew how to do so-and yet all he allowed himself to be capable of was to watch and to breathe. If he got in that bed, he would be accepting Yami's leave. He would be condoning his rival to freely pass through his fingers. Respect or not, he felt as if he shouldn't let that happen. But at the same time, he wanted nothing more than to lay in that bed, hold Yami in his arms and to not let go; to never let go. While his face did not show it, his body betrayed him.

"Set..." Yami trailed off; he took note of the shaking fist at Seto's side that threw everything he hid in his eyes into the penalty of truth. Seeing this plucked a chord in Yami. Immediately, rose to his knees and clasped both hands over his lover's, "Seto, it's allright. We don't have to rush this."

"Who said anything about rushing...You're not going anywhere..."

Unfortunately, even his most convincing words couldn't persuade his tone. He didn't have to admit to it. But there was no point holding on to foolish nothingness now. No one knew the outcome of the ceremonial duel tomorrow, yet they knew it best to prepare for Yami to not come back. It was a disappointing behavior, but at the very least if Seto dismantled any chace of hope, he wouldn't be as effected if Yami did indeed lose. Only, that wasn't the type of person Seto was. He was stubborn to the very end and he was paying for it now.

"It's allright," Yami repeated, firmly grasping the large hand between his and lifting it between them.

"..." Seto breathed his other's name. There were times when he couldn't control his utterances of it from the state of awe he was in. Yami took this scarce moment of vulnerability to bring Seto's fist to his lips and kiss it reassuringly. It was a silent message that told of tenderness and reliability; devotion and eternity; determination and finality. This was it. With no promise of what tomorrow held, this moment was to be taken as their last together as a couple.

"... ..." Seto whispered. Slowly, he leaned forward and then dipped his head to catch Yami's mouth. From the sudden contact, Yami loosened his hold on Seto's hand. As soon as he did, a palm rounded the contour of his jawline while an arm crept around that lithe waist. Their chests glided against the other in a firm and brief hug before Seto guided them both down to the bed. Cool satin flowed over their bare skin with the smoothness of an ocean's waves. Their breaths enriched the mood and painted their setting in pure desire; low moans guided their touches and the behaviors of their bodies were instinctual. Despite the intensity between them, respect was kept and no boundaries were trespassed. This moment consisted of deeply impassioned kisses and slow movements against the other.

Yami led his hands to Seto's shoulders and pressed against them twice to let him know what he wanted. Understanding, Seto withdrew from Yami just enough to allow him to a sitting position with little effort. His legs still on either side of Yami, Seto snaked an arm around his back and pulled him in for a short, sweet taste. The moment Yami felt those lips start to drift from his, he laced his slender fingers through Seto's hair and forced him into a demanding kiss. A desperate sound broke from Seto by the ferocity Yami made certain he exhibited as well as from the thrashing tongue that claimed all it craved. Their forms moved like shadows against the illusion the faint lighting portrayed along the bed's luxurious drapery. With a husky growl, Yami yanked on Seto's hair, forcing his head back to give him the message to lay down. He did so without complaint and Yami wasted no time exploring the wide chest before him. With delicate tenderness, Yami brushed his lips over the worn scars along the exposed skin. While elaborate, there was nothing lewd about it. Purity and honesty were prominent here. His small mouth left a moist insignia, detailing the skin as if it were a map to treasure. A few faint sounds dripped from Seto. Through half-lidded eyes, he observed Yami's actions. His kisses were precise and simplistic but he couldn't deny how weightless it made him feel. It almost seemed foolish that something as pragmatic as a kiss could extract sensations from him so easily. Then again, he never thought that the man atop him would ever get to him as effectively either. And now here they were from the playing fields to relations of the more intimate variety. Irony indeed had a sense of humor. Possesively, Seto raised a hand and cupped Yami's chin. With his attention suddenly redirected, dazzling amaranth bore into smouldering sapphire.

There, flashes of moments sparked behind their eyes. Images of what could have been transpired in illuminated fragments. Moments of them entangled, both enthralled and trancsending the laws of lust and wanton desire. They witnessed the both of them copulating atop floors, merging against windows, quenching their yearnings in he shower, making love in the office, sitting quietly side by side in a park near a lake, endearingly stealing their love amongst gentle candlelight against a dark wintery setting outside their windows. These were things that could have happened had circumstances been different; such were situations that could have occured from the breaking of more promises and betrayals of trust; they were ordeals of which could never happen and have not. What they saw were their own desires that had ultmately unlocked and confirmed their undoing. Their choices, their finalities, were now set. And they now realized this was truly the instance of no return.

Met with this insight, the mood was utterly decimated. One of them tried to form words while the other had none to offer. Crestfallen, Yami moved off of Seto and flopped carelessly on his back. As he did, the springs in the bed crinkled as Seto's weight shifted. He laid on his side and peered over at his rival. Yami's attention was fixiated on the ceiling, secretly grateful that no rose petals had been stuck up there somehow. The emotions that encompassed him felt too strong to bother fighting. In a moment of candid fear for the uncertainty of what was to come and losing what he and Seto had cultivated this far, Yami clutched his lover's hand and brought it to his chest. Seto observed the affection quietly with chilled eyes. The image of this dynamic individual clasping his palm tightly as if doing so would solve his problems bothered Seto. A lot. Without a word, he pulled his hand out from Yami's grasp to drape an arm around his delicate body and pull him close. In this instance, Yami needed all of him; Seto didn't want to permit any substitutes. And that made Yami smile, even if for a flicker of a second. He was thoroughly grateful for being held like this. It was a gift as well as a regret, because he may never experience an embrace like this ever again. As he returned the motion, Yami nodded in silent thanks, clutching Seto's shoulder for dear life.

It was almost unfair to feel so overwhelmed, even when the reasons as to why were of one's own doing. Too much; it was all too much to deal with all at once. He just needed to rest, to be someplace else, to not think about anything. He was so tired. He just needed to let go. He knew carrying multiple burdens as his own was wrong but he felt as if he had to. Ad now their toll had been wrought upon him. Gingerly, Yami allowed his eyes to be shielded from the rest of the world as they softened to a close. The second his lashes met, the budding of a tepid, clear liquid eclipsed them and a string of tears outlined his cheek. Seto bore witness to this, but allowed his lover to cry and bear the weight of his sins. His own sins.

Minutes passed with the two of them still in tightly in the other's arms. Once he was certain Yami was deeply resting, Seto rose from the bed, albeit slowly as to not wake a clinging Yami who pasted himself to each movement, to turn off the music. Upon returning to the room a minute later, his shadow spilled over the bed, igniting the canopy curtains with its authority. Right away, he noticed an important detail was amiss. Shoving the drapery aside, he was met with the wide, bleary eyes of...

"Yūgi..." Seto murmured with a little more acidity than he initially realized. To his surprise, the same bite was returned to him in the guise of a disheartened whisper, "So it WAS you..." Yūgi accused, slowly sitting up. A sudden heavy chill crept down Seto's spine. Just the mere sight of that unwanted insect on his bed, the centerpiece amongst satin and efflorescent ubiquitousness, drove Seto to his limit. How dare that runt's presence soil what he had prepared for himself and Yami!

Without thinking, Seto launched on to the bed and seized Yūgi viciously by the hair. Ignoring his screams, Seto dragged him out of the bed, across the floral speckled carpet and threw him soundly against the wall. The pained youth gave an ailing wail that scratched at every solid surface in echo. Seto paid it no heed, swapping his clutch from the messy hair to snag Yūgi by the collar and lift him higher against the unforgiving surface.

"You lied to him!" Seto roared, "You made him come here to Egypt!"

Eyes streaming with irate tears, as well of those of pain, Yūgi met Kaiba's scorching tone with exasperation, "I did, I had to! He needed it! He was confused, Kaiba! If he couldn't make up his mind to come here, I needed to do something for him to help him regain his memory! He would have ignored his destiny to stay with you!"

"He belongs with me-!" Seto seethed, completely blind his choice of words. Instead of labelling Yami as another wordly possession like he normally would, he referred to him as his partner. And quite openly at that. He tightened his control on the collar, feeling rather pleased when the one at his mercy coughed and tried to squirm to lessen the strain on air. It was almost funny how both Yami and Yūgi shared the same body, as well as two extremes of Kaiba's emotions. He wouldn't mind much roughing the runt up but Yami would never let him hear the end of it. Too bad. He really felt like he needed to break something right now.

"I knew this would happen!" Yūgi continued through thin wheezes, "That's why I did it, that's the only reason why! He needs to go back no matter how much we all want him to stay, Kaiba! You out of anyone else should understand that!"

All the color drained from Seto's face as a chill laved over his skin and filled his veins. The runt may have had a good point but he didn't have to agree with it. Not wanting to be bothered by this any longer, Seto let his captive go. As Yūgi plummeted to the floor in a slumped coughing heap, Seto left the room momentarily to get the rest of Yami's clothes. He tossed them at Yūgi, grasped him by the arm and pulled him out into the main room. He demanded he get dressed and then leave. After that, Seto went back into the bedroom, threw the door shut and got dressed himself. Later, he forced Yūgi to the front door and watched him prepare to exit.

"This can't happen, you know that," Yūgi warned in a fragile tone that both vexed Kaiba and left him temporaily speechless. Of course, the runt was reffering to his and Yami's relationship through a body that didnt belong to him. And that was right, but it didnt mean Kaiba would just surrender the feelings he held and had created in regards to his challenging rival. There had to be a way for something between them to thrive, even with Yami's decision to take a risk in the duel the next day.

Yūgi faced Seto, giving him one last hard glare before he turned on his heels. Although Seto couldn't see it, just as Yūgi took his first step out the door, his features wilted and his eyes gained a sheen of gloss.

Alone, Seto slammed the door then pressed his back against it. Overwrought with conflicting emotion and dispirited thoughts, Seto led both hands through his hair and gripped it. He felt he urge to yank the door off the hinges and run after the runt to get to Yami but that would do them both no good. It would be fruitless. Yami had made his decision and Seto had respected it.

No matter how he analyzed every corner of this situation, there was no diverse outcome. An algorithm was always fixed. Expecting a dfferent result from the same methods would indicate insanity.

Finally, the truth faced him and he had no other choice but to swallow its bitterness. Yami was leaving. It didn't matter if he ended up winning the duel and gaining his own vessel. Right now, Yami was gone and Seto was left behind. Again. The gravity of each mental atrocity forced his body to become like lead and he sank to the floor. Silence had never sounded so loud; solitude had never felt so crowded; and uncertainty had never felt so definite. He was not ready for tomorrow.

He never would be.

OoO

The rueful day finally fell. Ishizu greeted everyone warmly as the ferry reached the final tomb. Even Mokuba and Yūgi's grandpa were able to make it in their own seperate fashions. When the time of the ceremony approached, everyone got to see their Pharaoh in a form of his own. Both he and Kaiba met eyes once that happened. Thy had expected it to occur after the result of the duel, not before. Their hearts raced, building with possibilities. But Ishizu reminded her king that the duel could not be halted or else his body would split from his spirit.

Now as it was, Yami and Yūgi stood on opposing sides with their duel disks at the ready. In the expulsion of one word, uncertainty spun its thread and peirced both lovers' hearts. Be that as it may, Ishizu and Yūgi were the only two to take notice of this; one of them felt awkwardly ashamed while the other, a hint of remorse. It seemed that Seto and Yami did indeed love each other after all. Yet, their universe of affections, and these realizations, had little meaning now. At this moment, "destiny" was fast approaching.

"Duel...!"

OoO

Confounded chapter... roughly 2 left to go... had the song "Confronting An Enemy" from the Xenoblade (Chronicles) soundtrack on loop for this one. And I'm still using my phone to thumb these up! I actually kinna like it...so far...

_**Ooc!**_

Yūgi: THE PHARAOH HAS GONE BACK TO THE FUTURE! But he needs to go back to the past! And whether it's intentional or not, I guilt-trip him about completing his destiny!

Yami: And amongst all this guilt-tripping in which can also double for Yūgi just trying to "innocently" help a friend, I go to see Kaiba who totally has a boss setup to seduce me with.

Seto: "Boss"?

Yami: And then we finally find out the hidden angst of your scars!

Seto: Joy.

Yami: And then... we end up not smexing after all! Not directly anyway! But there was clothed frottage!

Seto: And I got to drag Yūgi around.

Yūgi: Kaiba totally roughed me up! Just think of all the shippers out there who might have loved a growly Kaiba man-beast pouncing on the bed to yank me off of it?

Yami: *scowls* KaiiiiBAAAAAA!

Seto: What, are you jelly?

Yami: "Jelly"? And I certainly do not ship the two of you together!

Seto: Yay.

Grandpa: YOU KIDS TODAY AND YOUR SLANG...AND YOUR SHIPPINGS...

Yami: And WHY do I have to be the designated clingy, crying uke?

Ishizu: I believe I had several cameo mentionings.

Mokuba: I had one! Even though there was another...but it got removed!

Yami: Anyway! It seems like this may be it for me and Kaiba!

Seto: Let the angst manifest...

Yūgi: With rose petals?

Yami: I AM DUELING YŪGI NOW!

Yūgi: I AM DUELING YAMI NOW!

Yami: AND HOPEFULLY LOSING! YES! Seto! Kisses!

Seto: Just win.

Grandpa:...And with your body splittings and your homoeroticism!

Mokuba: Homo- what? Gesundheit!

Yami: NEXT!

**_Ooc!_**

-Mel


	13. To All

_**A/N: LEMON ALERRRRT! ( please don't hate me, you guys! *hides*)**_

Beyond His Body

Chapter 13

OoO

A house's still walls were suddenly evoked with vibration as life engulfed it. The sound of ruffled clothing and ragged breathing splashed within the narrow halls and heightened as the top floor was reached. The door to the 3rd floor gave a thump; the bodies of two lovers collided against its surface. There was a fumbling of keys for a few seconds before the door unlocked and swung open with a kick. With mouths entwined, as well as the lighter of the two being carried in the other's arms, the disheveled forms of Seto and Yami literally stumbled into the room. Their outfits were near tatters of their former design, especially for Yami, ripped and torn with gaps of skin exposed due to impatient need.

After leaving Egypt, Seto had wasted no time bringing Yami to the remote house where they had invoked so many memories. Granted, a large majority of those were fabricated, but the time spent was irreplaceable-just like the slender male in Kaiba's arms was to him. And now, Kaiba could show him the uninhibited emotions his rival always brewed within him without restraint. Yami was his; he was always his.

"Mm..Seto..!" Yami laughed lightly in-between hungry kisses; his bangs tickled his nose as he tried to lean back just enough to speak freely. Luckily for him, he managed to get one sentence out before his mouth was again demanded capture by Seto's, "We… we don't have to rush now, you know…"

In place of words, Seto responded with a low rumble in his throat and moved his mouth downwards to Yami's neck. The peeking of skin that was not hidden behind that troublesome collar, Seto nipped possessively at, lifting a sultry hiss from his other. Through thick sepia, iced eyes peered up to study the expressions that roamed Yami's graceful features. Variants of enthrallment, bliss and sultriness painted his face while he leaned his head back to allow Kaiba further access. His eyes were lightly closed; his mouth was rounded, fitted to the sips of air he took in. One of his longer bangs tickled down a cheek, adding a note of softness to his raw ardor.

"Seto…" He uttered breathlessly. The clinking of metal tapped the counter's surface as Yami's bangled wrists dropped atop it. His palms then took their place and he gripped the counter's edge to brace himself. Seto's eyes contracted briefly at this behavior, but didn't allow it to slow him down. Instead, a large hand reached up and yanked down the split remains of Yami's top. The fabric gave a satisfying rip and Seto hastily popped the button on Yami's pants. Immediately, the smaller began to fumble with his belts but he didn't have the chance to do anything with them when Seto roughly, and quite literally, stole the pants right off of Yami. Any accessory lingering about his hips were also removed. The shorter would have slipped and banged the back of his head on the surface if Seto hadn't pressed a palm to his chest to secure him. Possessively, Seto gripped Yami by the thin fabric of his tattered top and forced him into a heavy, deep kiss. He held no restraint in bestowing his other with nothing but a tempestuous emotion. His mouth demanded order over Yami's; his tongue sought dominance and control over his rival's while Yami allowed it. Temporarily. His retaliation swelled with a passion and vigor that no one other than Seto could contend with. A throaty growl drifted from Seto from the competence. The very essence of it drove him wild. The fist at Yami's shirt loosened, finding a hold instead within that spiky mane. With a handful grasped, Seto yanked downwards suddenly. The action was sharp enough to make Yami break the kiss with a gasp, while not hurting him in any way. The reaction pleased Seto; the rousing of the predator in his pants was proof enough and he eagerly pressed it against Yami's abdomen. A sultry moan drained from those erotic lips and Yami bucked his own hips against his lover.

"Seto…" he whispered breathlessly, "…Seto…. Yes…. More…"

An arrogant snort was the reply. The hand in Yami's hair tightened; the thicket of locks entwined around its invader, securing its presence as well as encouraging its claim further. In the thrum of a second, Seto forced Yami's mouth to his, punishing those savory lips with a ardent branding. A caught grunt coated Yami's throat from the pressure and he felt himself lose complete control for a good 5 seconds. While transient, the threads of those seconds lingered like multiple lifetimes. Every sensation tripled as his mouth was ravaged, while his body was teased, with the grasp at his hair tightening. And it had never felt so good to not be able to breathe in the midst of it all.

But Seto didn't stop there. He pulled Yami closer; he spread his legs by doing so with his own and possessively gripped the heat between them. Entirely helpless in this moment, Yami tensed and released a whimpering groan. A low sound reverberated in Seto's throat as Yami's licentious noises crept within it; his tongue thoroughly ravished Yami's, enabling a wide variety of sultry melodies he had not yet heard to surface.

Yami's slender fingers curled into near fists he grasped the counter so harshly. The rough treatment he was receiving was welcomed, but even the abundance of a good thing could be too much. And last he checked, oxygen was a necessity. Picking up on this, Seto tugged Yami's head back and severed their bruising kiss. An exchange of husky pants mingled between them. Yami had his eyes shut while Seto peered down at his other through a narrowed, and blurred, vision. He intently watched the way Yami's chest would rapidly rise and fall while he desperately fought for air. The way his skin nearly appeared translucent under a coating of sweat caused Seto to lick his lips; slowly; hungrily.

More; there needed to be more. He felt he had to rush; he had to continue without stop until he could no longer move. There was an overwhelming urge to prove, to seek, to discover, and to desire. He didn't want to see those eyes rest on him until he was finished. His hand constricted at the back of Yami's head while the fingertips of the other dragged lightly down the length of his torso. A breathy remark trickled from Yami's lips in response to the contact. His lashes flickered and began to lift until the tip of Seto's tongue ringed the shape of his mouth. A microscopic gasp emerged, followed by the silent expel of Seto's name as his tongue claimed Yami's. The invasion was met with a mutual retaliation and the two of them quarreled as their mouths collided. After a short bout, they both pulled away from the kiss-only to lure the other with salacious tongue play. That was about all the teasing Seto deemed to allow at this point. One hand stroked along Yami's thigh while the other finally released the other's hair to drop atop the counter. It searched blindly behind Yami for something to be used as lubricant.

"Seto…" The impatience smudged the authoritative voice as a slur. Taking some of the control into his own means, Yami folded his legs around Seto's waist and lifted his hips with as much force as he put into his palms to brace himself. By doing so, the action resulted in Seto knocking over a few household items by accident. He growled and clutched the troublesome bulge rubbing against him, tightly. A sudden cry erupted from Yami and his entire body stiffened. This, of course, resulted in more objects being toppled; Seto swore under his breath and briskly reached down to one of the lower cabinets and pulled out a tall glass bottle of olive oil.

Yami noticed the lubricant through misted eyes. His face was already tinted carmine from the exhausting kisses they swapped, but he felt his skin ignite with a brighter flourish once he observed Seto's fingers becoming doused with the oil. Such a task required that he use both his hands. With the warmth and attention absent from his body, even if momentarily, Yami's length twitched in neglect. Had Seto been in his right mind at this moment, he almost may have thought the sulking gesture to be….cute?

The solid sound of glass being set down seeped into the room. With both hands now unoccupied, Seto unraveled his zipper briskly while sliding 2 fingers down Yami's hardness. Cautiously, he inserted one of them. A sharp exclamation in a range Yami didn't even know existed evoked from him at the intrusion and his body spasmed. Seto had already prepared for that reaction and steadied him with the other slicked hand. He lifted his sight briefly to Yami just in time to see a string of intense emotion scatter over his brows and mouth while his eyes remained fiercely shut. Once he deemed it possible, Seto added in another finger. He twisted them, led them in deeper then receded, as well as widen the taut ring surrounding them. Yami's back bowed; his moaning mouth expanded in girth to accommodate the height of the sounds expulsed from it. His eyes burned with a liquid that threatened to emerge from his closed lids and cling to his thick lashes.

"….Seto…!" The name was hardly spoken; the breath needed to form its whisper had been stolen from him and lost in Seto's motions. He had been so distracted by the sensations that he hadn't realized when those two fingers had doubled to four. Deciding Yami was finally ready, Seto removed his invaders, much to Yami's upset, and brought his glazed size to supersede them. The very second the bulbous head pressed against him, Yami's eyes flew open and he grabbed Seto by the collar of his shirt. In response, Seto's eyes darted up to meet with Yami's and there, he froze. Opulent gems spectated him, burrowed into him. There was something in them that Seto identified immediately. Whatever it was, it demanded him to rush even more. He knew he shouldn't; he knew he didn't have to, but at the same time it was the only option he had and wanted to choose.

In place of words, Seto lowered both palms atop the counter and gave Yami a look of caution so the other could brace himself. Yami barely had the time to snake his arms loosely around his lover's neck before the first thrust condemned him to sublimity in the boldest of ways. Only when Yami familiarized to the feeling of being filled with him did Seto begin to move. He started at a moderate pace, and grazed his teeth along the rim of Yami's ear.

The lithe male quivered from the attention in such a sensitive spot and secured his hold around his lover's neck. "Set…o" The steadiness of his voice had faltered; his voice cracked and the sound reminded Seto of the last time he heard it. That last time they were in Egypt; it was the first time they had sex without use of any virtual technology. Memories of that time clenched him for some reason. It wasn't like him to dwell on the past while living in the present. But from just hearing such a desperate whimper like that did something to him. It propelled him to go faster, to uncover more, to clarify what he wanted to be his. Without words, Seto shaped his arms around Yami's back in order to induce more power to his performance.

"AHH-! Seto! Don't-don't stop!" Yami mewled in a hoarse beseech. The burn of fresh tears bit his cheeks, his nails bore into Seto's clothed back as each layer of moans Yami announced dictated the intensity of Seto's movements. Although they had just begun, Seto was already feeling parts of himself wander away as he became caught up in the moment. Everything he had, all that he was, he expressed in one of the only ways he knew how to. Heated pants dipped from him; his arms contracted against Yami's slender frame to the point Seto was hugging him. His face was nestled in the crook of Yami's neck and every so often, he'd leave a kiss or a nibble at the exposed skin there.

Yami hissed at the notion, then brashly rocked his hips against Seto. Automatically, his partner knew what that meant and lifted Yami off the counter. Immediately, their mouths sought the other in a sloppy endearment of thrashing tongues. But instead of heading towards the bedroom, Seto lowered to his knees on the floor. Then, without warning, he yanked Yami's head back, earning a husky growl from the regal and allowing the remnants of their kiss skitter over Yami's abdomen.

"W-what are you doing?" Yami managed to find some wisps of his sonorous tone. However, that alone wasn't enough to detour Seto from what he had in mind. His features darkened seductively as he gave Yami a paralyzing smirk. He snatched the startled king by the arm and pulled him to the floor. Just as Yami squirmed from the brunt of the small impact, Seto pinned both arms down and leaned in close enough for their lips to brush.

He traced the tip of his tongue over the soft skin before muttering his answer.

"_You_. Or have you forgotten?"

Yami only had time to blink before Seto delved into him powerfully and possessively to further emphasize his statement. The plethora of gasps, swears and moans that fled from the petite male were nothing short of melodic as well as fodder for enlarging a certain CEO's ego. Time held no meaning between them as Seto made certain that he uncovered every part of Yami. The latter, on the other hand, was able to become rather acquainted with the floor on his back, side as well as all fours. As his ultimate crept upon him, Yami reached between his legs to aid in his own release-that is until Seto forced his hand away. Tresses of sepia intermingled with ebony and cream as Seto rested his head atop Yami's shoulder. One hand busily stroked his partner while the opposing hand cupped Yami's hip.

"…Seto-!" Yami choked out in-between fits of ragged gasps and dim moans, his voice breaking, "I… I can't-!"

"I'll come with you-!" Seto assured, almost sweetly. Losing himself temporarily, Seto kissed Yami's cheek and brought a hand over his heart to give it a squeeze. The moment they both met their climax, Seto removed himself from Yami and flipped him onto his back. Thick flashes of white spiraled between them, shouts and curses accompanying their release, and dappled Yami's heaving chest with a gloss that flickered under the kitchen lights.

Watching the male beneath him, a familiar feeling tugged at Seto. Subdued blonde scattered along the floor amongst ebony like an emptied spool of thread tossed in ink. Beautiful skin tinged with sweat; dark crescent lashes trimmed with impassioned tears. An entity of pure beauty laid before him and Seto found himself sinking into a loss of words and an even greater lack of response. His. Yami was his….

Gingerly, those ethereal lashes lifted, revealing curious moistened amaranth. Setting on the one who granted this euphoria, Yami smiled tiredly and spoke his lover's name. Driven by the delicate sound of such a unique voice, Seto felt himself gravitate towards the lips that birthed it. As he kissed Yami, his hands gained minds of their own and cupped his partner's face. Seto's thumbs rubbed away any traces of Yami's tears there before pulling slightly away. A small, yet genuine, smile snuck its way to the corner of Seto's mouth, "… Atem…."

Yet, that rare showcase of warmth was not mutual. Instead of returning the expression, Yami blinked. Every emotion that was formally present on his face entirely depleted itself as if it had never existed. A ripple shifted over his entire form that lasted for a split second as he shivered, processing the name. " 'Atem' …" he repeated in a calculating air. His eyes meandered elsewhere and confused anguish pinched his features, "I'm sorry. But, I do not understand this… 'Atem'…" Red-violet crystals stared blankly up at Seto with no attachments whatsoever. There was nothing. A void. Emptiness.

And Seto knew better. The tremendous loss on his face drained every ounce of all that made him in that one moment. Something within him shattered. He couldn't continue with this lie anymore.

"…Terminate program…!"

OoO

Potent bitterness swirled in Seto's eyes as the virtual illusion faded and reality closed him in. He had promised his love that he would no longer use the pods when alone. But without Yami there, what else could he had done? With a start, Seto emerged from the machine and exited the room. He would never enter that place again as long as he lived. Now, he stood with his back to the door that led to the private area of so many memories with disdain and contained rage. There was only one thing left for him to do. Forcing to turn, he lifted a heavy hand to the numerical panel and punched in a code that secured the room's self-destruction. His greatest genius was a failure. He never should have even gone through the trouble to create the false reality to begin with. In addition, he had programmed the hologram with the reactions he had learned while in the world of memory, yet he forgot to add in his lover's true name. Instead of only presenting himself with an illusion of what should have happened between him and Yami, Seto had set himself up to be haunted by it for the rest of his life.

The truth was Yami never made it out of Egypt. He didn't win the duel and was unable to gain his own body. In actuality, Yūgi couldn't bear for his counterpart to lose by his hand. So instead of helping matters like he thought he was, Yūgi surrendered at the exact same moment that the pharaoh's life points hit zero. That way, he thought the two of them could end in a draw instead and "trick" whatever power that gave Yami a body to duel him with, to use as his own. However, by conducting this action, Yami's spirit was torn from his body. But, a loss was still accepted as being a loss in the duel. The tomb acted as if it had received its king's soul and had begun to collapse. Seto had thrown caution to oblivion and tried to save his beloved in some way that he had no knowledge of. But, he could no reach him in midst of all the obstruction. Seto was riddled with rage and would not have left until his baby brother gave him another reason to save himself and live.

After everyone escaped, the tomb had become thoroughly decimated. If there was anything Seto could have wished for in that moment, it wouldn't have mattered. He would have believed it dead with the one he was whole-heartedly in love with. If there were any way to somehow save Yami, he did not, and could not see it.

As the pod room initiated its annihilation, Seto took his time to evacuate the house. It was almost as if he were tempting death itself, despite his volition to avoid it. His devoid eyes remained on the structure as it burned. All the memories spent and uncovered there no longer held any meaning. Memories were nothing to him, such as he wanted to believe. He couldn't hold a memory; he couldn't kiss it; he was unable to show it the world through his own eyes. They had turned to unleveled ashes, just as that house had.

By his own will.

If he held on to no hopes, he could look forward to nothing. His thoughts were delusional ones, but it's worked for him for nearly 20 years. Reaching into his pocket, he uncovered his business cell phone and dialed the fire department. After giving his information, he left the scene a new man-

-with a hollow heart.

OoO

Quick note! Seto seeming detached from the Yami while smexing him was on purpose…with y'know, him still having his clothes on, not touching the Yami more, or hardly speaking to it. And most of all, not wanting to stare into the Yami's eyes, or not gaining a deep connection from it as he normally would. I hoped someone would feel like "SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!" and then SURPRISE (or not much of a surprise) IT WAS SMEX WITH HOLO-YAMI! It was kinda hard not writing copious gobs of emotion and "I'm staring into your eyes and can see all of your soul". ;_; I guess that's why it was only about 5 pages of it. But, I wanted the smex to be around 5 pages, so it worked out for me this time! ;_;

Ooc!

Seto: … It was a lie. Yami lost and I ended up breaking my promise and smexed a virtual clone of him anyway. But he wasn't there so it wasn't really breaking a promise.

Yami: *NOT FRIGGIN PRESENT TO SCOLD OR RETALIATE*

Kaiba: Since that runt surrendered, Yami's spirit split from his body into different locations…

Yūsei: TIME PARADOX! Instead of you surrendering, Yūgi did! You can't go changing the future like that, Yami!

Kaiba: Who the-!

Yūsei: I'm the guy who boinked the pharaoh before you did….in another story…

Kaiba: …!

Yami: Best I've ever had…second only to you of course!

Kaiba: …

Yami: Uh oh right.. *NOT FRIGGIN PRESENT AGAIN*

Kaiba: … … … *is too pissed for words or action!*

Ishizu: I didn't even have a cameo mention…But for the sake of a twisty plot, there's probably a way to save him….. I shall work a hocus pocus mind trick and help my pharaooohhhh! Or something like that….!

Kaiba: ….. I'm getting outta here….

Ooc!

-Mel


	14. Finalities

_**A/N: Next to last.**_

OoO

Beyond His Body

Chapter 14

OoO

The cycle of several seasons trickled throughout Domino City; each one harbored a temperature change less desired than the last. It was practically Fall when Yami dispersed and now a cold Spring was nearing its advent. The encroaching change was fitting. All who had been directly touched by the passing ruler's lifestyle and presence had carried on with their lives in separate ways. Devastation had consumed Yügi; what he had inadvertently done weighed his heart and resulted in him distancing himself from everyone. His handful of friends did what they could to offer him comfort, but their sympathy was rendered useless. Not even the time he had spent alone was enough to mend the err among his conscience.

The Ishtars had left no details behind. In fact, no one knew what had happened to them after the tomb collapsed. Only Seto had gotten a few phone calls from Ishizu that pertained solely to business. With Yami and the challenges he offered void from his life, business was mostly all that drove Seto. The only one directly affected by this was Mokuba. From how deeply submerged his big brother had been in things he deemed as "work", Mokuba was indirectly persuaded to go back to Europe to spend time with his girlfriend. He left his brother a note, and boarded another private flight to Europe. He loved Seto, but he thought it best to both get out of his way and to leave him to whatever he was so deeply deluged in working on.

The frigid CEO contained himself to his tasks, inwardly brushing off the passing time after Mokuba left as if it were a speck of dust atop his desk. It was no disrespect towards his only family, but instead an understanding and to allow the two of them to part ways temporarily. His eyes had absorbed countless hours, treating them like minutes and decades simultaneously. His fingers were often in motion within the same rhythm of typing—stuck in looping the same algorithms again and again. Scattered papers of unfinished quadratic formulas lay in scribbled messes beside him. His mind had been rapidly at work unraveling concepts he did not understand in his current life. The last time he could recall drowning the cognitive puzzles in numbers and fragmented code, Yami was in his mansion helping Mokuba with homework. He seemed to mainly do this when unanswerable questions arose, especially when they pertained to Yami.

While it may seem like it, Seto was not in mourning; in fact he was far from it. After Atem's extraction months prior, Seto had pushed on with his life albeit faster than his body language showed. He despised wallowing in the past and felt that doing so was both foolish and weak. He left everything regarding their relationship behind the day they were separated. Yami was out of his life as were the feelings that had surfaced along with him; he was the past and Seto had to let it go. So he did. No regrets. There was no reason to feel sorry or saddened towards something that no longer existed. His thoughts towards Yami as an opponent however remained freshly intact and revered in the highest praise that Seto deemed his only rival deserved.

Regardless of his reaction to Yami's departure, Seto still had a company to run and oversee and nothing would distract him from that. He was in the early conception stages of constructing a learning facility for training elite duelists; a type of dueling academy. It was an idea inspired by his duels with Yami. His influences, his tactics and even his way of life had Seto feel it necessary to build a living shrine to honor the greatest warrior, other than himself, that he had come to know. And appreciate. He planned to obtain Yami's deck from Ishizu so it could be put for all to see once the school was built. All others would be privileged to witness Yami as Seto's best and only rival while he alone would bear the deeper details and the consequences for experiencing them firsthand. No one else knew Yami like he did and not a soul ever will. That alone, was Seto's privilege.

At that moment, the ring of his office phone announced its presence in the room amongst Seto's disquieting musings; its abruption didn't faze him in the least. Without losing any focus on the work in front of him, he answered the interruption on the 2nd ring, "What."

"Seto, I have urgent and unusual news for you," Ishizu's dignified tone revealed on the other end. She almost sounded a bit breathless. Figuring it had to deal with a request he had given, Seto took the matter with lesser interest. "I'm busy. If you found his deck, you know where to ship it. You didn't have to waste time calling."

"It was not only his deck that I was able to uncover, Seto," she informed with an urgent inflection in her delicate voice. The hope it held sprouted an emotion within Seto that he would have preferred to deal without. A sudden chill throbbed into the room and Kaiba gripped the phone receiver tighter than he realized, "What else was there..."

Silence slithered in momentarily before it was disrupted with drops of rustling clothing from the other line. Seto could make out the phrase, "Are you certain?" from Ishizu in a faraway voice as if her hand cupped the speaker and she was addressing someone else.

He didn't have time for this.

"Are you done wasting my time yet?" Seto snipped crisply. He allowed her one more second before hanging up the phone. He cursed to himself, thinking it would have been best to just send the woman a text message or email instead. He resumed his activities, unable to for very long, when his personal cell phone went off. The instrumental chorus of "I Do Apologize" by Jin Snooka resonated into the room, accompanied by the phone's vibration feature in Seto's pocket. He almost didn't recognize the song, let alone remember the call settings of this new device. Mokuba had been the only one to ever hold it, as well as be the only one to ever call nowadays, no matter how scarce. Without needing to check the the call's identity, Seto answered; the wear his work wrought on him was evident in the gruffness of his articulation, "What is it, Mokuba?"

"...Kaiba..." Spoke a weary voice Seto almost did not recognize. Uncertainty thrived in the name from the way it cracked. Its deep vocals certainly did not belong to Mokuba and it struck stilled silence into the one who heard it.

It couldn't be...

"..!" A flurry of emotions flushed through Kaiba all at once; Rage, fear, pain as well as another. The sound of his name tingled his ear with its burn. It traveled down through his heart, into his stomach and there it lingered like a stone. Someone was playing games with him. And as if his thoughts were captured as he conjured them, the voice on the phone addressed Kaiba's skeptical assumptions directly.

"No...this is no game," There was a solemn pause as the speaker drew in a contemplative breath, "I didn't think I would hear your voice again, Kaiba..."

"Where are you," Seto growled through tightened teeth. His own voice became foreign in the demand it carried. He couldn't even believe what he was saying—that he was actually going along with this. This was all a hoax. Yami was forever gone; Seto's beliefs held no place for "ghosts" and he would refuse to accept otherwise...

Another interval interjected between them before an answer was delivered in an uneven croak, "Egypt," A pause settled in, followed by a change in vocal clarity, "Kaiba, you should know Ishizu was the one who-"

Not another word was uttered from the caller. Seto had ended the session with a press of his thumb. Long after doing so, the digit did not move from its placement—even after Seto's hand had begun to tremble. A surly grip clutched his heart and his insides felt as if they were being torqued in a vice. He thoroughly abhorred all that he was feeling in this moment; every emotion that he had fought to keep contained was rapidly gurgling to the surface without cease. His entire body began to tremor, causing his hand to clutch the phone tautly in duress.

After so many months since he had purged his lover's memories from his system- after he had put every day spent with him alone behind him, that man still found a way back to him. From the very grave, the essence of Yami's presence would never release its coil around him—from around his soul. Perhaps, Seto wanted it to be that way without realizing. But the possibility of his only rival still being alive after all this time angered him to violent heights. He felt betrayed by the sheer nonsense of it and questioned what he had been doing with his life. What had Yami been doing with his? Why did he choose to contact him now; at all? Why couldn't he stay buried in the past? How could he still have control in a mind, life and body that wasn't his? It was conflicting and made no sense to Seto. He was too vexed to think and let all his pain erupt without any restraint.

In the blink of an eye, nearly everything atop his desk became a mass of projectiles strewn across the floor. His cell phone still gripped harshly in hand, he glowered at it with racing eyes. A second was all it would take to break it; one second was all that was needed to make it to succumb to what his soul was undergoing right now. But just as that thought plagued him another collided with it, softening his anger to give way to pain. Heart-twisting pain.

There was only one option left and ignoring the situation would do him no justice.

Before the hour concluded, Seto Kaiba had left his office, work, and duties behind to chase after a ghost.

In Egypt.

OoO

Upon his arrival, he located the Arabic linguist, Ishizu, with unbridled haste. He tracked the phone call to a small hotel that appeared as if it were either closing down or preparing to be redesigned. Immediately, he thought of the building possibly falling on him if he went inside. As he stood before it processing what to do, a familiar shade outlined itself along the glass of the entryway doors. In reserved silence, Ishizu emerged; her eyes remained fixed on Kaiba. A shallow wind trespassed betwixt them, daring them to bend to it and ignore the tense situation before them. Neither of them moved. Even if the earth beneath them shook, their gazes would not sever. If this woman was messing with him for any reason, Seto had no idea of the consequences he would unleash on her. But, while she hadn't always been his favorite person in this world, he did have a smidgen of trust towards her and that was more than he gave many others.

"Where is he," Seto breathed; the emotion that welled within him became entrapped in his throat, thinning his voice. A flicker of empathy swept over the woman's face. There was a story that needed to be unraveled in which spoken word alone could not fully explain. In place of it, she slowly lifted a slender finger to identify one of the windows on the 2nd floor. Seto glanced to it briskly, feeling every wisp of breath leave him as its absence filled his lungs with lead. Before he even took notice of it, he had sprinted past Ishizu and into the hotel.

Alone, the subdued woman released a sigh and closed her elegant eyes. Perhaps it was a bad idea to have Seto get his hopes up and come all this way. It was not her idea to contact him initially, but her pharaoh insisted. Even he considered it to be a risky move, but he had went along with it regardless to hear Seto's voice once more...

After the disaster, Ishizu and her brothers were the last to leave the tomb. While they fled, the voice of Shādi happened upon her ears and hers alone. Following his instructions, she had separated from her brethren and retrieved Yami's prone frame. Eventually with her family's help, she ensured her Pharaoh was safely out of harm's way on their shoulders. She had time to collect his deck before the quavering ground swallowed the remains of the tomb. Since that time, several weeks had given birth to multiple months while she cared for the body. Hours bled into days as she chanted spells and scriptures in order to lure his wandering spirit back to its container. She was lucky that Malik had a connection with someone in the hotel business to allow them and them, and a few staff members, to utilize this place privately. Much sweat and concentration were sacrificed in order to complete the incantations, but as long as her Pharaoh lived she had vowed to be loyal to his every need. It was a gratitude exercised through duty over all else. Only a mere week before her most recent call to Seto did her king consume his first drink of air since the day he lost it. He had returned, but still could not move about fully on his own. She still had to feed him, bathe him and coax him into using his voice. Days after that, he was back to himself and full of life—life that he probably should not have obtained. However, he was not ready to expose his return to the others. Until today, but only Kaiba was informed.

With the two of them in the same place, perhaps it was best to leave them to themselves. Her duty was done for now and she had no other reason to linger nearby. With Seto there, she knew her king was well placed in good hands, no matter how rough their reunion may be. Regardless, it was none of her business. With that acceptance in mind Ishizu led herself away from the hotel, containing the very best wishes for them in her heart.

OoO

Upon reaching the 2nd floor, Seto nearly pushed the room door off its hinges as he barreled through it. Every object in the moderately spaced enclosure blurred as his eyes scanned the dwelling in desperation. There was absolutely nothing before him that linked any traces towards Yami. In fact, the room was rather barren and scarcely accommodated. But Seto didn't allow that to hinder his mission. He checked the bathroom; he searched the closets; he found nothing.

Where was he? Why wasn't he here? Did he leave? Why was Seto believing this insanity?

Before the troubled visitor realized, he had gone through every room on that floor. While his thoughts ate away at him, his body moved on auto-pilot, tearing every room upside down and inside out. The elusive man he sought and ached to see was nowhere to be found. At the end of his tremendous waste of time, it was only then that Seto took notice of how ragged and deep his breathing had become. He was completely dismantled and irate beyond what his exhausting form showed. He couldn't give up now. He wasn't able to expel his fury on Yami yet; he had to keep going.

Lifting his heavy eyes towards one of the windows, a bright splash of moonlight pierced his vision. Yet, his widened eyes did not blink; they didn't even flinch. He had been so single-minded with finding Yami that he didn't realize exactly what he was looking at for a good while. Gradually, the sharpness of the celestial light took its toll on him, causing him to shield his eyes. The diversion disarmed him a bit to allow bytes of his sanity to return to him.

The moon.

Outside.

Yami. He had to be there.

Now, Seto knew exactly where to look. The aged wood of the floor whined under his heavy boots as he turned around and dashed towards the nearest exit. Once he reached the area behind the hotel, the descent of rain engulfed him, obstructing his view even more.

Here, his search met its finality—both by Seto having nowhere else to look in addition to elements not yet introduced.

Until now.

"Kaiba...?"

The deep, rich voice was barely audible through the torrent of liquid, but Seto's sensitized ears picked up on it immediately. It was as if the one who spoke it were directly next to him. However, he found no one. He was hearing things now, it seemed. He should have known better than to chase an impossibility. There was nothing here for him. There never was. Now, here he was, looking for an illusion and creating ones of his own.

Foolishness. All of it. He had known better.

The flaps of his trench coat swirled behind him as he turned, his heels grinding into the sodden earth below. As he denied one impracticability, the presence of another caused his eyes to shrink and his breath to cease. The form of his only rival stood before him. Large eyes of crimson greeted him with an intense scrutiny and a clarity the weather could not mask. It was Yami. He was actually there, before him. Those small lips divided to shape a word; Kaiba's name. But due to the sudden shock of witnessing what should not exist, he heard none of it. The echo of the rain was all his ears absorbed in sound and the sight of it dissolved away. All of the world around him assimilated into blurred colors and melted into white nothingness. Only he and one other remained. Just the two of them mattered.

No, this had to be some sort of trick. Seto was losing his mind. Yami was stolen from him months ago. He was hallucinating. This was his own punishment—to imagine every detail of someone close to him only to lose them again from being utterly useless. But he knew he was lying to himself. Try as he may to belittle the situation's genuineness the scene before him was indeed very real.

No communication of any sort transpired between them for a very long expenditure of time. There were no secret messages through the other's passing thoughts as there normally would be. There were only two individuals and the gap betwixt them. While it was once the desire to see Yami that lured Seto to this place, now he couldn't stand the sight of him. He needed to leave and keep the past locked away.

After ages of silence, Yami took it upon himself to take the initiative. Seto's eyes contracted as they analyzed the delicate curve of Yami's lips as an acute breath trickled from them, "So, you did come after all. I didn't expect to see you. I actually thought your stubbornness would keep you locked away in seclusion," A dry chuckle scampered into the air from the flat joke. The usual suaveness that was once in his sonorous voice was now condensed to something much less. It had lost the vigor that would often lure Seto near. He felt as if he were being spoken to be a hollow husk that mocked the one individual he had the utmost respect for. When Yami received no input, he filled in the empty void, "I missed you..."

"...You're playing games with me..." Seto seethed, barely moving his lips. An arid sound flavored Yami's mouth as he gave a wry smile, "Still the same. I would have thought nothing else from you."

In all honesty, it pained him to handle Seto in this way. While he truly was glad to see Seto again despite thinking he would never have another opportunity, he couldn't help but feel as if he had violated something. Time would wait for no man and Yami fully expected, and accepted, for all to get on with their lives. Without him. It was only fair. He loved Seto dearly, but if everything they ever experienced together was to end here, then so be it. This meeting was entirely his fault for selfishly wanting to hear his lover's voice once more...

"...Like I mentioned over the phone, this is no game. But since you're here, there must be something you needed to see and believe with your own eyes."

"..." Seto spoke not a word, but his answer was given through his silence. Of course he had to seek out this anomaly firsthand. Whenever Yami was involved in something, Seto had to keep tabs on it. On him.

Seamlessly, Yami continued, "Well, now that you have, what will you do now, Kaiba?" The challenge his body language emitted was something beyond himself. It was foreign in its exhibition and was nothing like the proud, impassioned individual he was. Strained amusement colored his face and his eyes lacked their usual vibrancy. Seto saw this as an insult. How dare he make him come all the way here just to be confronted by a shadow of the one he respected most? Whatever Yami was on, he needed to be shaken out of it immediately.

With dolor, Seto grabbed Yami harshly by the collar of his shirt. He wanted to make him feel his pain, his anguish, in all its faces and shades. It was his demand, his secret plea. No one else but Yami would ever see his raw emotions in such a vulnerable state. As he yanked the indifferent male towards him, Seto noticed him wince from the maneuver and that pleased him. It wasn't so much the act that did it, but rather the fact that emotion was actually shown that did.

"Kaiba-!"

"Don't you ever patronize me like that like some empty shell! I came here because of you! Your insipid phone call brought me here. What possessed you to interrupt my life after I finally put all of you aside? You either stay here or leave; don't switch between the two!"

"Seto, I had no idea of my return..."

"But you called ME anyway!"

"...I did..."

"So stop being so cryptic like I don't mean anything and deal with your deficiencies."

"And I intend to. Now let me go," Yami countered, shoving his other away from him just enough to create space between them. Seto allowed him to. From the glare that was sent in his direction, Seto caught a glimpse of sorrow in those dense rubies. Now, he understood. Yami was just as pained and confused as he was, if not in greater quantity. But he was doing his very best to maintain it under a solemn mask of minimal expression. That one flicker in Yami's eyes told Seto everything. He was still in love with him; he still wanted to be with him, but he wasn't sure that he would be able to. Those uncertainties drove him to exhibiting such a bothersome exterior when all he really wanted was the best for Seto. He had no right to disrupt his lover's life and hope that he travel all the way here for naught. But what could he say?

"Nothing much has changed for you, it seems. That's...good to know..." he trailed off; his expression scrunched in mild thought as if what he was to speak next was completely absurd, "Is...is there anything-"

"There is nothing between us, Atem..." Seto uttered plainly, choosing to use Yami's given name. The pressure of the statement coupled with his birth name sent his eyes to expand while a flash of fear transposed his features. Seto said nothing more; while the statement pierced him as well, it was actually meant in the literal sense. Physically, there was nothing between them. "Nothing" was stopping them from advancing and "nothing" was allowing them to forfeit this farce just yet.

The revelation mollified Yami into silence for a while. Then gradually, his lids began to lower until his lashes feathered over his cheeks, "...I ...see. Good for you..." He nodded slowly, doing well to hide the boulder that had just sank into his stomach. A weak laugh then followed, "After all, it isn't like you to dwell in the past."

"No."

That was it. Seto had nothing left to say. The double meaning seemed to be lost on Yami and that revelation was enough to make Seto feel there was no more to discuss. Reluctantly, he turned his back to Yami,"If I take one step, I'm leaving you here."

Yami already knew of Seto's intentions beforehand, but the voicing of it made its gravity that much harsher to deal with. Still, with a wounded heart, he managed to keep a content facade across his face, "... … I know you will do whatever you feel is necessary, Kaiba. I understand that you have moved on. I have as well."

"What?" Seto wondered, craning his neck over his shoulder. Yami had already begun retreating from him. Greatly annoyed with his patience greatly tried, Seto whipped around, "Where are you going?" He shouted, his demand slicing through the pounding rain.

"... Nowhere." The bleakness in that one statement was enough to chisel ice and move a stubborn stone. And Seto Kaiba was no different.

Before Yami had a chance to further elaborate, he felt himself grabbed by the shoulders and twirled to face Kaiba. Their eyes searched the other and their chests heaved with hesitant gasps. Why did Yami make him so impulsive? Why was his existence always so enigmatic that it led him to always be directly affected by it? Why did it hurt him so much? Seto had to end this now. Without a word, he leaned his head down, ready to pilfer what those lips had kept from him when Yami cupped a hand around Seto's mouth, stopping him.

"Don't feel obligated to oppose who you are to prove anything to me." Glinting cerise wavered with a lament lined with the moon's subdued glow. It distressed Yami to see Seto like this. He couldn't stand to know that he not only put him through so much heartache, but how he also split open a healing wound within himself. He had still wanted to be with Seto and at the same time, he didn't. He was in love with Seto and because of that, he was more than willing to allow him to be free. If for the best, he would let his lover go for good. Gently, he spoke his piece, "I meant what I said... You don't need to oppose your own beliefs and you don't need to feel forced to try to—"

"Shut up, Atem."

Yami's voice suddenly hitched in a gasp and his eyes doubled in size. A strong pair of arms tightly surrounded him like the ribbon of a large present. Seto was hugging him. He didn't know what to do and any intelligible thought flew from him. Instead, all he could utter was a broken "Kaiba...?"

"...tld you...nvr...ltting you...go..." A string of muffled gibberish wavered from Seto as he buried his face in the crook of Yami's neck. The warmth that tickled his skin caused the former regal to lose strength in his legs momentarily before catching himself. Perplexed, he glanced to his other out the corner of his eye, "What? What did you just say?"

"... Don't you ever leave me again..." Seto declared clearly; his remark was unquestionable and non-negotiable.

"...Seto..." Yami whispered, lacing his short arms around his lover's back as much as he could. His mind drifted back to the time the two of them had shared a moment of confessions atop a hill. This was the same night Yami had called Mokuba by mistake and Seto stopped by just in time to knock some sense into his sulking rival. Also in that night, Seto had left Yami with similar words of no matter where he went, he would track him down and drag him back home. Yami chortled bleakly at the last part of that memory. He didn't have a place called 'home' to return to now. But he would worry about that later.

Due to their wavelength, Seto easily sensed Yami's resolve beginning to meander. He took this moment to pull slightly away in order to lift his desire's chin with a finger. Wide and curious opals peered up at him. Truly mesmerized, Seto's expression relaxed into one of rare bewitchment as he lowered his head. The misty form of one name glossed his moistened lips, "_Atem_..."

As to compliment their moment of honesty, a genuine and tender kiss brought them closer and silenced the rain around them. Just like the night of where they shared their first, stolen, kisses, the sky sprinkled them with its dusky patronage as if from a dark shallow sea. When their moment ebbed and their eyes entwined, Yami witnessed the most beautiful smile he had ever seen marvel Seto's face. Quietly, the taller led an arm around his lover's shoulders and hugged him firmly to his chest. Without restraint, Yami's fingers curled about Seto's clothing, clinging to the embrace and the affection it held. Such a simple gesture made him feel truly and wholly complete.

"Are you going to say goodbye to that woman?" Seto suddenly spoke up off topic. Caught unaware, Yami merely responded to the sound of his voice, admiring the way it rumbled from within his chest. "Hmm?"

"Because, I'm taking you home."

"Home?" Yami blinked; not having anywhere to go at the moment, his mood swiftly descended and his body felt anchored by unseen weights. He couldn't go back to face Yügi, yet. He wasn't prepared to. He needed more time. "I appreciate the offer Seto, but... I haven't..."

"I wasn't talking about with the runt in case you're wondering. So stop sulking."

Yami blinked again. The confusion about his face gave a new meaning to the word 'cute', "I don't understand what you're getting at."

"I said I'm taking you home. Where you belong."

"Where ...I..." A tiny pinch pricked at Yami's features and his eyes burned with a fresh wall of tears as an old memory took precedence. The place he belonged and the one he belonged with were one and the same.

"I love you, Seto," he expressed wholeheartedly; the sound of his confession was swept away in the audience of rain, but its warmth was unmistakable. In silent reply, he gave Yami's forehead a light kiss that contained every emotion he wanted to speak, but had no shape for the words. But he didn't need them.

Now, the greatest puzzle in his life had been finished with a place for him alongside it. And Seto loved him too.

OoO

_ REALLY? ARGH! lol jk Only 9 pages...huh... I thought it was way more... Dah well! Yes, there'll be a lemon! See see! Hurr's proof!

"_Carefully, he placed his palms against Seto's chest, then lowered himself. The breathy steam of the shower kissed his back as he became situated on his knees. Seto observed Yami expectantly through half-lidded eyes."_

_**OOC!**_

Yami: Ok so let me get this straight, Ishizu gets hailed by Shādi, brings me to this hotel where we have infinite room service so I can be fed and uses magic to match my spirit with my new body?

Seto: Works for me.

Yami: I thought you didn't believe in that stuff?

Seto: I don't, but you're back and I can smex you into the floor without worrying about you whining about that runt's body.

Yami: Ah, good point! But before we get to smex, I totally seem like I'm stringing you along in a 'leave me and forget me or stay with me!' type of game.

Seto: You're annoying. But I enjoy XXXXing your XXX so much, I decided to put up with it.

Yami: Another good point! I love it when my XXX gets thoroughly XXXXed and my XXXX gets so XXXXX and then I get to XXXX your XXX XXXX!

Mokuba: Does anyone care that I had a minor mentioning?

Yügi: DOES ANYONE CARE I HAD A BREAKDOWN?

Mokuba: I didn't know you could breakdance, Yügi!

Yügi: ….! Oh forget it!

Ishizu: For once, I have nothing to say!

Yami and Seto: *too busy smexing in the background to care what's going on*

Ishizu: No more need for holograms.

Yami: WHICH REMINDS ME! Didn't you smex a hologram of me last chapter?

Seto: So what.

Yami: ….

Yami: ...And what is with that ringtone?

Seto: The faster you shut up, the quicker I'll smex you in the last chapter.

Yami: *zips his lips. then unzips them* Are you lying to me? Who knows when that chapter will be done! And will it really be the last one?

Anzu: It had better be! This is torture!

Seto: Oh. Well in that case... *grabs Yami and smexes him right in front of her*

Anzu: *repulsed!* Since when was Kaiba part horse?

Yügi and Mokuba: EWWWLLL!

Ishizu: Anyway, it's been a happy ending despite the angst of both Seto and Yami. They have love, a new life together and Yami has his own body for Seto to XXXX the XXXX out of. Onto the next, please!

_**OOC!**_

-Mel


	15. And Epilogues

Beyond His Body

Epilogue

OoO

Even with the speed of Kaiba's jet, it took lengthy hours before the two of them landed back in Domino City. Arrangements were made for Yami to stay at the Kaiba mansion until either another place of their own was found, or if he decided to stay within the establishment's grandiose walls. While the determining of his permanent residence was important, the first thing the former royal really wanted to do was bathe. He was thankful for Ishizu's care towards him when he could not tend to himself, but he felt better doing this with his own hands. So, while Seto occupied himself with a few last minute phone calls explaining why he would be absent from his office for a couple of days, Yami took it upon himself to access the shower.

OoO

The moment the drizzling water met his skin, Yami exhaled a sigh as his spirit was calmed and his mind was soothed. It was such a remarkable feeling to be able to experience even the most simplistic surroundings by his own whim, through his own body. While sharing a vessel with Yūgi, cleansing oneself was straightforward and held no extra meaning. It wasn't given a second thought. But now, every sense came alive to welcome the act and Yami felt rejuvenated by it already. There was so much to touch, to feel, to understand through one's own experiences and Yami was indulging fast. Several minutes dripped by. A container of body wash was selected amongst a few others of various brands and qualities and soon the exotic male had his frame coated with a soapy lather. The suds felt like silk along his skin; in the back of his mind he wondered how much this particular item cost Seto. If it was anything like the expensive coffee, it must have totaled the price of of one's monthly salary if they received minimum wage. At least.

Immersed in his solitude, Yami began to hum. Over the splash of the water and his smooth acoustics, the small creak of the bathroom door was not heard as it was made ajar. A pair of bare lengthy legs entered into the threshold; sharpened blue eyes pinpointed their target within the chamber of the shower. His lover's lithe form could be distinctly noticed through the reflective glass doors. The soft hue of his skin was a gentle contrast to the cobalt tinted glass; his wild hair appeared like a brush of dark flora accented with threads of the sun and streaks of fire. The song that lifted from him was tenderly delivered but whatever language it was wrapped in was firmly thick. It would have sounded nice and almost therapeutic if Yami hadn't been so tone deaf.

But that aside, it was a part of Yami that Seto had never witnessed before. And now that he was here to stay, Seto planned on becoming even more familiar with the one he deemed of equal worthiness in many ways. On whispered steps, Seto neared Yami's location until he stood directly in front of the shower doors. And watched.

Surprisingly enough, Yami didn't notice anything was amiss until he felt a sudden breeze tickle along his back. Immediately, his eyes darted to the shower doors just in time to see them close. He then turned his head to look behind him and was mildly awed to find Seto there. Nude. Part of him expected this to happen anyway despite how demanding work could be. But, he accepted his lover's company nonetheless.

"...Seto...?"

"Continue..." Kaiba worded gently; his voice was encompassed with intrigue and held no demand. For the moment. Yami found this odd, and stared blankly at his voyeur momentarily. An unreadable gaze from Seto influenced Yami to turn his back to him with a sigh. Well, this was strange. While his previous life had others bathe and dress him, there was something more vulnerable and deep about allowing Seto to watch him do it himself. Yet, he also found it rather endearing... in an awkward sort of way.

From feeling an expectant gaze heating his back, Yami reached for the bottle of liquid soap again with hesitant hands. Seto's eyes flickered over to the item momentarily and contracted in disgust. He had forgotten the last time he let Mokuba use this shower; he was still into using those fragrant abominations and left a few behind. They were drugstore-cheap and watered down, but they still did their job. Seto would have been fine with them if they didn't dry his skin. The fact that Yami chose to use it made him want to say something about it. But instead, he held his tongue and just watched the man before him. As he observed, unconscious thoughts began to manifest. The feel of him; the very idea of being able to stroke his skin crawled in his mind in infinite loops. Seto's fingers twitched just from the sheer desire of just wanting to _touch_ him. He felt he also needed to prove to himself that what was happening now was real and felt compelled to show his other how real he could be.

As Yami began to froth his chest with a soapy palm, Seto advanced closer until his hands lightly encircled around both of Yami's forearms. A tiny gasp filled Yami's throat, sounding more like a sultry hiss from the sudden contact. "...What... are you doing...? I thought you just wanted to... ..." Yami's entire body shuddered and his eyes flew shut from the feathery kiss that traced along the back of his neck.

"...Seto..." The name floated from him weightlessly, intermingling with the shower's steam. He wasn't certain as to what his significant other was up to, but it was a little difficult to properly cleanse oneself when becoming so...distracted...

Luckily for him, "distracted" was exactly what Seto aimed to make him. Wordlessly, he led his thick hands over the curves of Yami's slick back, gingerly massaging his fingertips into the moistened skin.

_Can you feel me here? _Seto breathed without sound; the eroticism in his intent stirred wonders in Yami and unearthed sensations he never knew thrived inside him. New to the physical attention, a low utterance of approval resonated from Yami and his back bowed into the odd nuance. His lids flickered slightly while remaining lightly shut. Slender fingers pressed against the shower's wall on their tips as if doing so would aid in amplifying all this body felt. Spirals of euphoria seeped through his warmed hands and traveled rapidly throughout every nerve before settling on the spot Seto's hands lingered. The petite regal began to mildly squirm from the unfamiliar contact, his form contracting as if he were being tickled. But the expression on his face was far more erotic and earnest. Still, even he had his concerns.

_Kaiba...what are you doing...? _His thoughts wavered. There was a small pause in Seto's touch, indicating he was deciding on whether to answer or not. In place of speech, he instead parted his lips to taste a bare shoulder seasoned with droplets of mist that beckoned to be claimed. _What about here..._

The enticed male before him tensed and sipped in a gentle tuft of air. He almost sounded as confused as he was curious and aroused. Although the feedback was highly alluring, Seto didn't feel the blind urge to rush this time. Right now, he wanted to explore all of Yami at his own pace; he desired to study every particle of his essence to keep fitted to his memory. But he would want it to remain only for one moment so he could dispose of it, and then start anew. He would do this so each time they became close like this, there would always be something new to discover and to crave. It was but one of his bizarre ways of showing affection in the highest regard. He paused again to monitor Yami's responses—none which were of any refusal. From that, Seto relaxed and resumed his temperamental rarities.

_And here... _Seto egged on while slipping his hands under Yami's arms to cup his chest. The plethora of soap suds that lingered embossed his gesture as he spread their lather over that lean chest. Yami's breath strained and he arched his back in a way that allowed more for Seto to grasp with his hands.

It would seem that one of of them exhibited far more impatience than the other.

In order to reprimand Yami for this, Seto traced his fingertips along the begging skin while missing the erect nubs on purpose. A distasteful groan tumbled from Yami's mouth from partially being ignored. But he didn't have the time to gripe about the selective neglect in more detail. Seto suddenly pinched them, causing Yami to gasp aloud. A faint smirk played over Seto's lips at the reaction from tending to Yami's impatience this once. After the high of the sensation dimmed, his actions regressed back to their previous gentleness and tapered downwards. His lengthy digits traced over the contour of Yami's abdomen. They lightly glazed over his navel and teased the outline of his hips with a delicacy an artist would to a sculptured masterpiece.

"Seto..." The name was squeezed in a gravelly whine. Yami needed more. The touching was a nice tease. And while it was sweet, he couldn't stop his body from accepting it as only that. The scarcity of such advances intensified every caress, every feathering of the finger, to sparking new heights. This rendered Seto's actions as precious and dear; and only Yami was the one to ever experience them. It had been far too long since Seto was robbed of this man's presence. Now was the first time he would be able to fully embrace this body—Yami's sole entity. They now both had the freedom to do as they chose and Seto would relish in that advantage. With gentle hands he moved Yami to face him, just pressing his back against the shower's wall. The gesture held more emotion than demand, yet both their gazes fixed on the other as if a command had been given. The unspoken dialogue had them submerged in an understanding, a language, that was their own. A monumental occasion formed between them: Yami in his entirety and Seto without any conceal to the abusive tattoos along his exterior. Such a thing would seem like a small feat to any other; yet to the duo who figuratively wore the same thread of fate, it was limit-shattering.

"Seto..."

Only a hint of the name was able to linger amongst the shower's mist. Its other half was devoured by its owner. Seto's hands curled securely around Yami's arms as he claimed the mouth he had sought after for a very long time. His euphoria, his own answer to destiny and his idol were under his control. Physically beneath him while spiritually his equal, Seto felt he had found a way to best Yami. And with that understanding, came admiration and the need to be far better. Yami gave him a reason to 'fight' and Seto would do everything to repay that as well as show his respect.

A wet sound passed between them as Seto withdrew from the kiss. Both his hands slithered over Yami's body; one crept around the back of his head while the other fitted around the width of his chest. The drop of a name was all the captor had time to utter before he was brought into a dear hug. It was almost too much coming from one who hardly showed any emotion while keeping it all stashed away inside. But in Seto's case, this was also his way of again reminding himself that this was not a dream; this was not virtual reality; this was real. And he had better cherish every second in the event Yami would somehow dissipate from his grasp. Not that he believed in magic, although that was the main reason of how Yami stood before him today, but in dealings with his other, Seto expected almost anything to occur. Only Yami mattered, not what was attached to him.

Appreciative of the behavior, even if all the attention was getting a bit exceeding, Yami returned the embrace. As he receded, he placed his hands against Seto's chest then lowered himself. Upon his descent, he made sure to brush his lips over each scar and abrasion on Seto's skin that had yet to heal. It was a testament to his love in addition to accepting his other in his entirety. The breathy steam of the shower kissed his back as he became situated on his knees. Seto observed Yami expectantly through half-lidded eyes. He by no means was expecting to gain anything in return, surprisingly, but he certainly wasn't going to stop it. The spray of the water clung to Yami's wild hair and slowly tamed it about his shoulders as his lips glazed over Seto's inner thigh. Then, he allowed the same treatment on the other and blew on it gently before shifting his focus to what was between them. His mouth opened faintly as he contemplated exactly how he was going to tend to all of what Seto had to offer. Curious, Yami led his nose to caress the underside of Seto's size and nudged it a couple times. It was far weightier than imagined it to be in virtual reality and its throbs were much more responsive. Amused with the reaction, Yami repeated his motions, then glanced up to see Seto's expression. Studs of sapphire pierced into scarlet with a short frown as an embellishment. _Stop teasing me, _his glare silently protested, causing Yami to smirk devilishly. Just to spite his lover, he did it again but as he felt Seto's hand cradle the back of his head, he replaced his meddling nose with his mouth. A sonorous chuckle lifted from him as he took Seto in between his lips, outlining his thickness with his tongue. As he suckled, Seto saw it fit to contribute a few thrusts even though they were minimal in force. His main focus was on the male below him rather than the act.

In a duel, Yami being on his knees was how Seto always envisioned he'd be—but in the sense of defeat and nothing sensual. Seeing his rival willingly contribute to such a posture held more meanings than the few Seto could identify. He understood love; he understood desire; he understood surrender, but what Yami was doing was exercising them simultaneously. And without hesitation at that. He was honoring Seto and respecting him in passive ways; he had given his power of control up to place in another's care. Or maybe he hadn't surrendered control at all. That alone transcended volumes to Seto and it didn't much surprise him that Yami was the one to show it.

Seto was drawn to this and began to lower himself. By the time Yami looked up, Seto had rested on one knee and lifted his fingertips to Yami's jawline. Their jeweled eyes met, mingled, discovered and embarked on a vast journey; their own road. As a promise to their future together, the two of them shared a meaningful kiss.

Once their mouths separated, so did the need to be gentle. Already prepared for it, Yami looped his arms around Seto's neck while he stood. Slender legs encircled around Seto's waist right before his back was pressed against the shower wall. A throaty sound rose from Yami, but it was soon transformed into a raw moan once Seto roughly pilfered a kiss. Upon instinct, their haunches began to roll and grind against the other creating sensational friction between their thighs. A round of husky growls and and impassioned hisses haloed them and intermingled with the shower's haze. With the wall supporting him, Yami allowed his hands to leave their perch and clutch at Seto's shoulders. His nails infiltrated the skin with their bite, only eliciting a deep grunt from Seto that didn't deter him from his motions. In response, Seto parted their kiss and traced Yami's lips with his tongue. Then, he trailed his mouth down to the side of Yami's neck and teasingly licked it before stamping a nice bite.

"AHH! More, Seto!" Yami bellowed in a delicious demand. Fragments of his native tongue dropped from his lips while he rolled his head along the solid surface behind him. His entire body tingled with the need to be contested and challenged. There was nothing wrong with gentleness, but being forced against a wall in a steamy room being bitten and thrust against by his lover was far more exciting. It prompted him to fight back with the same fervor. His hips protested boldly with languid circular motions that would make a promiscuous professional blush and one hand sought demand to a section of Seto's hair. A low growl rumbled from him, only to be countered by a wild, commanding kiss from Yami. A smidgen of control was given to the former king with an uneven moan as Seto privileged Yami with indulging in a minor power trip. He didn't mind the retaliation; he much preferred it. Neither one was the true dominant. They both took turns seizing control and retiring it momentarily. Amongst their bouts, Seto saw it fit to use a hand to rub their erections together. With his other, he lined the tip of a finger along a particular opening that caused Yami to jolt immediately.

"Nngh...! Se...Seto..." Yami managed to force out in an expulsion of breath, thinned from the sting of bites decorating his skin. He was barely touched, but the reaction was one of surprise and ardent need. He seemed to be more sensitive than he realized.

"You want more, Atem...?" Seto smirked wryly, "I don't think you can handle it..."

"Oh? Feeling rather audacious, are we?" Yami retorted in a haughty snap. To this, Seto snickered a bit, then reached for a bottle of shower gel-the highest quality, and unscented, kind that is. With one hand, he held the item upside down to be able to squeeze a generous amount into his palm. After placing the container aside, Seto conjured a copious amount along his fingers. Carefully, he positioned a digit at Yami's entrance once more, taking notice of even the slightest flinch. He waited for Yami to relax himself before making any advances, "I was being frank, but you'll see what I mean..."

"Then show me," Yami concurred with pride. His hold around Seto's neck strengthened; his eyes pinched shut and his teeth clenched as he braced himself.

"Relax," Seto assured in a comforting voice that caused Yami to shudder from how much it cooed him. In response, all he did was nod. Hushed sapphire studied the one clinging to him, watching for any hints that would lead him to stop his actions entirely. Since there were none, Seto took the liberty of inching the first thick finger in. The intrusion tore a wavering gasp from Yami at how strange and unfamiliar it felt, as well as curious and endearing. Thanks to the quality of the gel, Seto was able to slip it entirely in without much problem or large discomforts from Yami. There were snippets of sensations that hurt initially of course, but it eventually turned into something more adaptable. As Seto prepped him, the alluring regal became more accepting to the activity. Before long, two fingers felt divine. After Seto managed to creep in half of the third, Yami assured him that he was ready. Needing both hands now, Seto cupped Yami's bottom with one and held the tip of his length with the other. Seto then paused, allowing Yami one more opportunity to accept or decline him.

"..." No words seeped through his lips. Quietly, he looked up to Seto with candid eyes. The flecks of pain that glossed in them did not go unnoticed nor were they inhibited. Yami wanted Seto to see everything, all of him. Honesty was of the greatest importance in a moment like this and Seto deserved to see every shade of emotion that he allowed his lover to feel and experience.

There was a great sense of gratitude along with respect and Seto made it known by touching his forehead to Yami's. Silent exchanges transpired in their own mental tongue, laced in affection, for a long minute. Then, all else transitioned into the background as Seto attempted to push his way in. A throaty shout leapt from Yami and he tensed instantly. It took a moment or so for Seto to calm him down enough to try again but, even as they were both willing, time needed to be considered. Yami was still a bit sore from just the fingers alone. This was all still relatively new to him, and this body wasn't ready for Seto's...ego all at once just yet.

"I told you..." he murmured, his lips pressed against Yami's water-straightened bangs, "...but you didn't want to listen to me..."

Yami exhaled audibly. He didn't bother to try to move and remained clung to Seto's chest. Embarrassment colored his cheeks with carmine; he couldn't bear to meet eyes with him now, especially after being proven wrong. Instead, he closed his eyes and rested his head against Seto's shoulder, "...Sorry..."

"Hmph. Apology accepted. But we're not finished yet."

"What?" Yami questioned, already starting into the frigid degrees he was avoiding just seconds ago, "I... I'm not... I don't think that's..."

Listening to Yami stammer in case a flat out "no" were to appear, Seto lowered him down to the floor on his back. Yami's legs lazily rested on either side while his hands still were around Seto's neck.

"What...are you going to..."

"You've trusted me this far," Kaiba reminded with a glossed gaze Yami swore was an openly loving one, "Don't stop now, Atem."

"Seto..."

Gently, Yami's tensions, and his hold, were moved aside. His fingers had already begun to lightly claw at the tiled floor as Seto coiled his fingers around Yami's sleeping length. With the soap that remained, Seto used it as lubricant to skillfully stroke his lover until an overwhelming climax convexed him and the echo of one name painted the entire room.

OoO

Months eked by in a deceptive span. The temperature was just shy of Winter's frost and the time for families and friends to collaborate together was nearing. Seto and Yami had become quite the couple for quite some time. Despite a few disagreements and tempestuous arguments, that almost always paved the way to rather scorching love-making afterward, everything between them had been practically perfect. They learned they were far more compatible than they originally believed. Their ability to catch onto the other's mindset and emotions had elevated to a seamless status in which they didn't have to utter a word in order to finish the other's thread of thought in certain conversations.

After establishing himself living with Seto and getting used to their routine of everyday life for a while, Yami finally felt it time to unveil his activities and overall existence to Yūgi and his friends. Around the time Yami showed himself to his aibou, the little one had just accepted his mistake and that he would never see his other self ever again. Even after declaring that, he still felt a connection to Yami. Upon reuniting with the spirit again, to say Yūgi was overjoyed was an understatement. He threw himself at Yami and tackled him with the biggest bear hug his small body could muster. Yūgi had shed many tears that day. Not only was he glad to see Yami again, but he was also still guilt-ridden with some of his previous actions. His betrayal to force Yami to go to Egypt and unlock his past along with his surrendering during their fateful duel together also tumbled out as hurtful confessions of turmoil, although the outcome of the latter was a complete accident. But, from many years of knowing Yūgi, his future reincarnate, Yami had also befriended forgiveness from the little one and returned it as needed.

As time continued on, Yami spent more time with his friends. Even Mokuba, with Rebecca in tow, had gone to visit them. The timing was opportune, with Seto frequenting many meetings to wrap crunched numbers up before the holidays. He had little idea of knowing when he'd be returning to Domino, let alone when Yami would be back. He let his mind be occupied with the possibilities he could inflict upon him while needing to sit through another lame appointment. Once these matters were out of the way, he could spend more time in Domino with Yami and Mokuba as he extended his Duel Academy idea.

One day after a group outing, Yami made it back to the mansion alone. Mokuba was out on a date with his computer whiz girlfriend while Yūgi and Anzu had gone ice skating together. The last thing he heard from Seto was a text message noting his uncertainty of when he'll be arriving and to not stay up waiting for him. After a short dinner and a quick bath, Yami flopped face first into the king-sized canopy bed they shared. He often felt empty having such a large bed to himself most nights while Seto was away, but he had gotten used to it. It was all part of the package: a sizzling CEO in his prime with mandatory sleepless nights due to plenty of sexual activity...whenever he wasn't away at work for the majority of the time; security, love and someone to keep him on his toes. All considered in comparison, perhaps a night alone wasn't so bad. It would give Yami some time to let his body to properly rest. There were still some times Seto "granted" him the "luxury" of having a new way to walk and Yami was baffled as to how he managed to mask it from his friends so well. Now that he thought about it, he started to ache for it—juuuust a little. Okay, a lot. Just what was Seto working on so late at night anyway?

Just then, his new cell phone buzzed and he flipped it open. His tired eyes skimmed over the contents. At the very end of the message he breathed a faint smile and shook his head.

"_I know you're still awake and doing what I specified you not to, so this is me telling you to stop feeling lonely without me and just goto bed. _

~Seto K."

"Idiot," he mouthed to the phone, then closed the device in light of attempting to find something to read or a movie to watch to help him get some sleep.

OoO

Early the following morning, Seto arrived at the mansion. He made a beeline for the bedroom and was mildly surprised to see Yami not there waiting for him. He rid himself of his work clothes and donned a robe and comfortable footwear to enter the bathroom with. He didn't have any time to grab a quick nap; he had another engagement to meet with in the next hour and he wanted to cleanse himself beforehand. The second he opened the door, the sound of rushing water, and Yami's terrible singing, greeted his ears. That man had a tremendous baritone, but he couldn't carry a tune for more than 2 seconds at a time. It was a truly dreadful waste, but Seto knew personally of other sounds that he could pull from such sonorous vocals. An impish smirk found its way to his mouth and that mere thought led him to the shower doors. After shedding himself of all clothing he entered, keeping his eyes on the one bathing beside him. Yami didn't even bother to turn to greet Seto. He continued his humming and cleansing as if Seto's intrusion was as natural as drawing breath.

Not one to be ignored, Kaiba lifted his arms in order to grasp Yami, but before he could, Yami's song ceased sharply into an imperative inquiry, "Don't you have to leave for work soon, Seto?" His tone was crisp and precise; it taunted Seto, dared him to go against it.

"I need to take a shower. You're in my way."

"Fine, then I will leave..." Yami shrugged and headed towards the doors preparing to do as he said—his body still covered in soap suds. The chance to stop him was made too obvious and Seto took full advantage of it. In the blink of an eye, Yami was pushed against the wall and his body and mouth were smothered by Seto's. Immediately, Seto's hand toiled with searching for a bottle of gel, soap, anything. In contrast to his haste, Yami was already one step ahead of him and simply held up the bottle to be snatched away. After readying his fingers, Seto lifted one of Yami's legs around his waist and entered two of them between the beckoning ring of muscles.

"Mm, you're feeling frisky this morning," the shorter claimed, trying to control the evenness of his voice. He didn't think he'd ever get past the initial sensation of entry.

"Shouldn't you be?"

"I never said I …. mmm...wasn't," Yami continued, his eyes fluttering closed. Pleased from the reaction, Seto added another finger and stretched the taut walls expertly. He could feel it begging for something much larger to become swallowed within it. He wasted no time in making that a reality—that is until Yami stopped him, "On one condition."

"Which is?" Seto questioned briskly.

"The next time you leave out of country, take me with you."

"You'll get bored."

"And I want to watch you work."

"Even more boring."

"Would you rather suffer from blue balls, then?"

"And where did you hear a term like that?"

"From Jo-" Yami was unable to finish the name as he received a sudden thrust to his sweet spot. All other manner of thought melted from him and he swung his arms around Seto's neck shamelessly declaring his name.

"Mnnn, that's more like it," Seto considered darkly. He wouldn't dare let Yami utter THAT name while he was embedded deep inside him. No other name was allowed to even be thought of but his own and all that he was doing to Yami. Soon, an aria of cries and desperate mewls for more erupted from Yami as the pace intensified and he clung to Seto for dear life.

OoO

"I shouldn't be gone the entire day, but in case I get caught up in something, you think you can manage?" Seto wondered, straightening his tie into place. He had only fifteen minutes to head over to his next location and was making sure his appearance was flawless. Yami watched him straighten himself up in front of the double doors of the bedroom without a mirror. Seto had done this so many times, Yami supposed one wasn't needed. If anything looked out of place, he would be sure to say so.

"Of course," Yami nodded, "I do have a life outside of you, you know. I don't sit her on my laurels like some lovesick animal waiting for you to return. Just allowing me to accompany you at least once when you leave the country is all I ask. Domino is a fine city, but I have no problems seeing the rest of the world either."

"Uh huh"

"In any case, I'm going to visit Yūgi today. We've got a lot more catching up to do so I can't say when I'll be back, myself."

"Hmph."

"Who knows, maybe I'll run into Mokuba again. I heard Rebecca went back to America this time. The poor child must be devastated."

"Let me worry about that, then."

"Perhaps I can arrange a way for him to meet with her. Last I was told, Ishizu was also in America...and running errands between there and here..."

"There is nothing you need from that woman that I can't provide you myself and more."

"She was the one who restored me, Seto, You can't deny that."

"You're standing here in front of me, now. That's what matters. End of discussion. I'm leaving."

"Very well."

"And do me a favor. Never help Mokuba with his homework ever again," he smiled faintly. This was meant to be a joke since their entire relationship and the body-issues that went along with it started from that one fateful night. While it wasn't one of the better jokes Seto had ever told, nor the first he's ever told supposedly, Yami managed to find some type of humor in it.

"Right," Yami agreed softly. The two of them eyed each other momentarily, cherishing the moment together. With one more slight smile, Seto turned to leave. He didn't get far when he felt a tug on the end of his tie. Checking behind him beneath an arm, he only caught a flicker of Yami's sly expression before he was yanked into a rough goodbye kiss. A heated battle of starving mouths and rebel tongues commenced with a bit of teeth nipping here and there. After they gained their fill, they separated as if it were as natural an occurrence as blinking. These types of fiery kisses had become the norm for them and often happened without a second thought.

Once Seto left, Yami released a hidden breath he didn't realize he had held captive. Here he was, alone again as crown prisoner of a luxurious, gargantuan confinement. He always felt like this when he ended up being the only one in the house. There were far too many cornered walls and not enough life. It almost felt as if he were immersed in the puzzle again. On the subject of the item, he glanced down to where he used to wear it. He had no need for it now and it was presumably lost forever back at the remains of the tomb. But that was fine. Taking another deep breath, he led his gaze over to one of the large room windows.

He was given a third chance at life and thankfully, it was a delightful one. He felt as if he were the main character of a story book who managed to trial through hardships and situational resets, but was still fully able to gain the happy ending. He had transcended beyond his fate, paved his own destiny and gone beyond Yūgi's body as well as his own. And with it, he was able to stay with the love of his life. He had so many to thank for allowing him this fluke of a chance and he was truly indebted fully for it. Warmed from the thought, a wide smile graced his chiseled features.

"Thank you," he whispered, "Everyone, thank you."

OoO

EEEEND. Friggin finally! GUH! DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE! GET THIS STORY OUTTA MAH FACE! *kicks it*

Whew!

Random information! From the start of this chappie on through the sweet endearment parts, I had Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2's Main Theme on loop along with a hip hop remix of it in the same playlist. When things started getting hot n rough in the shower with the bites n all, I had APE ESCAPE'S TITLE SCREEN on loop(an extended 15 minute version too! Hearing this totally helped the lemony scene carry! Seriously!)! But then when the fingering was about to take place, it was back to the MUA2 themes. The parts after that onto the end was an extended version of New Meridian from Skullgirls(haven't you all noticed that I listen to mostly video game music by now?).

OOC!

Yami: THERE WAS SMEX!

Kaiba: There was.

Yami: AND NOT MUCH ANGST!

Kaiba: Dealing with you, that's a miracle.

Yami: AND A HAPPY ENDIIIING!

Kaiba: What's so happy about going to work?

Yūgi: And I made out ok!

Kaiba: Who cares.

Yami: Seto, be nice! Or else I'll call for J-

Kaiba: *covers Yami's mouth and runs off with him* We''sgohurryup.

Yami: KAAAAY!

Ishizu: I'm also shocked there wasn't a multitude of Yami-angst. Just smex and heartfelt moments.

Mokuba: Me too! I mean, it was hinted at that **I** of all characters had more angst than Yami did in the few sentences there were about me! And that's really saying something!

Yami: *from across the world* QUIET YOU! So what if I tend to let my emotions overwhelm me so that someone strong like Seto can smack me out of it? Right? It's the way we operate at times, you know!

Kaiba: *is too busy dancing to the Super Mario Riddim remix that just came on*

Ishizu: So, to sum everything up, Yami has his own body now, thanks to help from me and Shādi. Because of this, Seto feels compelled to touch all of him and ends up trying to smex him, but he can't at first because Yami's hole is far too virgin...

Mokuba: TMI!

Ishizu: So after some time skipping, couresty of the sake of plot, it turns out that everyone has gotten on with their lives just fine and more importantly, it's implied that the couple has been able to smex successfully. Along with the very optional scenes of Yami feeling alone and empty in such a large mansion, all is well for the other characters, including me. And because of everyone's contributing care for him, Yami is compelled to thank us. So...welcomes.

Mokuba: So, is this really it?

Ishizu: Yes.

Yūgi: Really REALLLLY it? Cuz I don't wanna be labeled as the bad guy again! *instantly the words "BAD GUY" appear in permanent marker along his forehead again* Awwww not again!

Anzu: So this is the end!

Priest Seto: *sniffle* PHARAAAOOOOH! Will I never get to hold you or steal a glimpse at your junk again?

Bakura: Oh shut it! At least you don't have to be stuck with an entity of darkness for all of eternity in a really cramped space!

Zork: I resent that! Um, could you scooch over a bit? My legs are going to sleep...

Yūgi: HEY! Aren't you guys supposed to be...

Zork: Bai now! *is insta-re-defeated*

Bakura: This is bollocks! *also insta-re-defeated*

Yami and Kaiba: *too busy smexing up a storm*

Kaiba: *suddenly stops* That's it.

Yami: ? Done already?

Kaiba: …

Yami: Oh! You mean the story! Yes, this is it! Thank you all for reading! Goodbyyyeeeeeee! Now, let our smex-fest continue!

OOC

(credits for the remixes go to JHitzTV and NineG/KidJupiter)

Thank you all so much for putting up with this zany story and for reading. *bows* This has been another long term goal that I set for myself that I have successfully finished to the end! Good for me! If anything was outta place, I can fix-eth it-eth later-eth. That counts for the entire story _ PEACE!

-Mel


End file.
